Luck of the Draw
by Christie Redfield
Summary: Co-Authored with David Wesker. Post 03x03. The tables aren't the only thing that's hot in Atlantic City. Hearts and emotions flare up as the pair hunt down an artifact. Pete/Myka AKA Pyka.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Warehouse 13 is © SyFy and the show's creator(s). No copyright infringement is intended whatsoever nor is any profit being made from this fanfic; i.e. it is purely non-profit.

Claimer: The only thing David or myself own is this story, nothing more nothing less.

Spoilers: Seasons 1 & 2, and the first three episodes of Season 3. Mild spoilers for "Queen For a Day".

Feedback: Love it, live for it, cherish it.

Category: Supernatural/Romance

Rating: T

Summary: Co-Authored with David Wesker. Post 03x03. The tables aren't the only thing that's hot in Atlantic City. Hearts and emotions flare up as the pair hunt down an artifact.

Author's Notes: This takes place after "Ba Ka Ib", but if you have previously read of "Wooden Ships and Iron Men" you can read this story w/o the worry of having missed out on anything in "Ba Ka Ib". :)

Luck of the Draw

By Christie Redfield & David Wesker

One green eye popped open tiredly, a curtain of russet locks obscuring their sight. From the next room over what sounded like classic rock being played can be heard. The volume is high at first, but soon lowered in tone. Rolling onto her side, the brunette pulled her pillow close to her body, closing her eyes as she listened to David Lee Roth crooning on about lost love and heartache. Almost every morning started up the same way, she tangled in her sheets, and he in the next room drowning out the world through music. Knowing she was the cause of it had eaten away at her heart.

She remembered when she had returned to the Warehouse, to the B&B, her room had never left, simply gone away into storage was the best way she could describe it. Upon being reinstated she was given her old room back, only with another new resident, its placement had changed and was now stationed next to Pete's room.

Moving back in was the hardest part. Upon hitting the landing she was greeted by a large, neat stack of boxes stationed outside her room standing like silent sentries. Half the boxes consisted of personal belongings from Colorado Springs, the others however…these were the things she had left behind when she had left her second family, the Warehouse, and Pete. It was only when she opened the boxes that the tears finally fell, her heart wrenching in pain. In the one box she found the photographs from when they were on assignment in Paris. It had felt more like they had been on vacation rather than on assignment, and their expressions mirrored as such in the photographs.

Myka sat up in bed and reached over and opened her nightstand drawer, extracting the photo album. She bit her lip as she swiped away tears. She could only imagine there would be many sleepless nights ahead for them both, what with them both now having apparently slept together under the influence of an artifact. No, scratch that, she had come up with the harebrained scheme that they both strip and climb into bed together, and given the current status of their relationship she couldn't see either of them getting back together anytime soon. The very notion of the idea was absurd. To make matters worse, she couldn't help but find herself thinking that Pete hadn't quite yet forgiven her for her sudden departure, or had he?

Closing the photo album, she put it back into her nightstand drawer and closed it. Sitting up straighter Myka listened closely, still hearing music emanating from the other room and chanced a glance at her alarm clock. Five o'clock in the morning; she figured that Pete was likely pumping iron again, it'd become almost a habit for him, if he couldn't sleep he'd work out and it was showing. The rate he was going he'd likely tackle an obstacle course without a second thought.

Walking over to her dresser, Myka opened the top drawer, and retrieved some clean clothes. She'd been meaning to ask him about some books she had been missing lately, she figured though that could wait for a few minutes longer. Closing her dresser drawer she walked out into the hall and walked in the direction of the bathroom. One plus side to being up this early was she had first dibs on the bathroom, most of the time. Myka wasted no time in showering up, no more no less than ten minutes. Sighing happily, she wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the shower, and very nearly shrieked in shock before she lobbed her shower loofah at her partner who had just stepped inside the bathroom.

"Hey!" said Pete. "Ease up on the friendly fire, Mykes!"

"Could you not have waited?" she hissed as she snatched the towel away from his hands to dry her hair with.

"I didn't hear anyone in here," said Pete. "Besides, it's 0530 hours, who would be up?"

"Maybe if you turned your music down, you'd hear that the shower was running," she remarked, narrowing her green gaze at him.

"Sorry if I woke you up," said Pete with a shrug, before he turned around and walked out of the bathroom. "Let me know when you're done."

Pete walked back down the hallway and disappeared into his room, the door closing. The music died a few moments later as Pete put his earbuds on.

Myka exited from the bathroom, dressed in a pair of old jeans, and a well-worn long sleeved tee. Inventory was on the agenda for today, so matter of dress mattered very little. Strolling down the hall, Myka stopped outside Pete's bedroom and knocked.

"Pete, shower's free," receiving no reply she knocked again before she pushed the door open, and found him doing sit-ups on the floor, he was still shirtless, his iPod on, his earbuds plugged in. Her breath caught in her throat briefly, and she quickly cleared her throat and made a lame gesture out into the hall.

"I'm done."

Pete finished his set with two more sit-ups and then pulled one of the earbuds from his ear.

"What?"

"Shower's free."

"Okay," said Pete. "I'm just finishing some extra sets. I'll see you at the Warehouse."

"You honestly don't expect to me believe you're going to get there by foot," replied Myka, her expression incredulous.

Pete shifted positions to work on some push-ups and slipped in his earbud before starting.

"One. Two. Three. Four," he said. "I. Love. The Marine. Corps."

Myka sighed in defeat, "Fine, you can hitch a ride with Claudia and Steve."

Turning around she made her exit from his bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her. As she passed by her room, she stopped, pausing to step inside and grab a pad of paper and a pen. Scribbling out a note she tore off the Post It note and walked back to Pete's room to stick the note on his door. Shaking her head, she crumbled the note and tossed it in the direction of the waste bin, missing the basket. Spinning on her heel, Myka made her way downstairs.

Not bothering with breakfast she helped herself to a banana and slipped out the front door. Leena looked up from cooking breakfast, and called out to the female agent, "Myka don't you...want anything?"

Sighing Leena turned back to her cooking, her aura was dark again, much like it was the first day she came here two years ago. It made her so sad to see it back again.

After Pete finished another two sets of push-ups and three sets of chin-ups, he headed for the shower. After he got clean, he walked back to his room, a towel around his waist. He got himself dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt that was showing some wear. If he was going to be scaling shelves all day, he didn't need a tuxedo. Inventory duty all day and with Myka. Fun.

Tying up his sneakers, Pete opened the door to his room and stepped out. As he hit the hallway he spied a piece of paper on the floor near the wastebasket and picked it up. He uncrumpled it and saw it was a note from Myka. Something about some books. Pete tossed the note into the trash and went back into his room. He found the books he had borrowed before Myka left and tossed them onto her bed.

Pete then closed her door and his and walked downstairs. He snagged a couple of energy bars from the box in the cabinet and headed for the front door. Leena was looking at him, a sad expression on her face. Jinks and Claudia came down a moment later.

"Where you going?" asked Claudia. "Late start?"

"Wanted to get in a workout before today's inventory," said Pete. "See you guys later."

Pete closed the door and started jogging off towards the warehouse. Claudia looked at Jinks and the new agent shrugged.

"Let's get something to eat."

Myka parked the SUV just outside the Warehouse after she arrived. Using the handheld remote she unlocked the Warehouse's outer door and made her way inside. Pulling off her sunglasses she used the retinal scanner and stepped inside, a cool rush of air greeting her.

Artie nearly did a double take as he looked up from a large stack of paperwork, "You're early, is Pete with you?"

Myka shook her head, "No Pete, opted to…he's on his way."

Artie gave her a strange look, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking at her further. He could see something was wrong, but he had better things to do than argue with Myka over what was wrong. She would figure it out or come to him later if necessary. Going back to his paperwork he spoke.

"I'll send Pete down to meet you when he arrives."

Myka nodded, "Do you have my sheet?"

Artie shifted some papers and photos on his desk and found the clipboard with what Myka would need. He handed it to her without looking up.

"Thanks Artie," replied Myka, before she disappeared out into the Warehouse.

"Yes, yes," said Artie as he made a shooing motion with his hand and returned to work.

Myka frowned as she neared the bottom of the spiral staircase, and she huffed. The name that was jotted down was not her name, but Pete's name. "Figures," she muttered before she proceeded to climb back up the staircase.

Pete walked through the umbilicus towards the Warehouse and scanned in. He saw Artie at his desk working.

"Hey Artie," said Pete. "Ready to work."

"Myka is downstairs," Artie grunted. "She has the lists."

"...Great," said Pete.

"What?" said Artie, looking up.

"Nothing, boss," said Pete with his best grin. "On it like white on rice."

"Good," said Artie.

Pete started walking for the staircase.

The door swung open, barely giving Pete enough to step back, "Artie you gave me Pete's list…" she blushed upon seeing her partner and handed him the clipboard, forming a tight smile, "I believe this is yours."

"Great," said Pete as he flipped through the papers. He pulled off the sheets for him and handed the rest on the clipboard back to Myka and walked past her out into the warehouse.

Just as the door was about to shut closed behind him, a familiar ping sounded, drawing the trio's attention. Artie practically flew back to his computer on his chair, sending papers flying as he tapped away at his keyboard, "You two! Back in here now!" he barked.

Pete was listening to his iPod as he walked back to where he was to start. He studied his list, unaware of what was going on.

I don't think he heard you," remarked Myka. Artie grumbled, and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, "Fetch him please, before I hang him, no, no, wait you know what." Picking up a small silver whistle, Artie held the whistle to his mouth, producing no sound. Myka frowned, and several seconds later outside the office she heard a startled scream followed by curses.

"Did you just?" remarked Myka as she gestured to the whistle and Artie smiled, "Original dog whistle unfortunately this one doesn't work on canines, but if say you have headphones on...," He gestured to the door and Pete stepped inside rubbing his aching ears.

"C'mon Artie!" said Pete his hands held out in gesture.

"We have a ping, Atlantic City. Just popped up on the grid," remarked Artie as he stood up. "I'm going to need you both to head out there ASAP; I'll print you out a list of viables."

"What?" said Pete.

Artie sighed in exasperation, "Are are, are you tone deaf?" He pointed at the pair before he gestured at the screen, "You two Atlantic City!"

"What do you expect me to do? Send Claudia and Steve out there? She'll be kicked out of the casinos!" Artie remarked, the door swung open and the two other agents stepped inside.

"Claudia can't go what where now?" questioned the redhead as she took off her sunglasses.

"Nevermind!" Artie fairly shouted before turning back to Myka and Pete. "Go!"

"Who's going where?" exclaimed Claudia, "What's going on?"

Myka shook her head, "No Artie, Pete and I are partners, wherever he goes I go."

Artie took off his glasses and covered his face with his hands for a moment. He then replaced his glasses and spoke with an eerie calm.

"Am I talking to myself?" he began. "Bering! Lattimer! Atlantic City! BEGONE! Tech Girl! New Guy! SIT!"

Artie slapped a folder into Pete's chest as the pair made their way outside, Claudia and Jinks quickly sat down on free chairs, their expressions reminiscent of two children that had just been sent to the principal's office.

Myka quickly slipped out in the umbilicus, Pete following after her.

Pete was quiet for a moment and then let out a rather sinister, sarcastic sounding chuckle.

"Partners," he thought to himself. "She goes where I go. What a crock."

He felt his blood run hotter with anger at the thought of it.

Myka bit down on her lip, her fingernails digging hard into her palm. Staring straight ahead she said nothing as they made their way back outside.

Her hand immediately went for her sunglasses as they neared the outer door and she slid her shades over her eyes. At least she didn't half to make up an excuse for putting them on.

Pete walked to the SUV's passenger side and opened the door. He dropped the file Artie had given him onto the seat and closed the door before he set off on another jog back to the B&B.

Shaking her head Myka climbed into the driver's side of the SUV and started up the engine. She rolled down the driver side window as she drove around him and stopped the SUV in his path. "Get in; we're on a tight schedule already."

Pete, not breaking stride, ran around the vehicle and kept heading for Univille.

"I don't know what I've been told," he began singing. "But the Warehouse has black mold!"

Myka rolled up the driver side window and gunned the accelerator, leaving Pete in a cloud of dust. She'd likely arrive well ahead of him at this rate but she couldn't care less, the sooner this mission was done and over with the better.

Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, her heart aching. His words were like acid, laced with cynicism. Within minutes she neared Univille and slowed down. She slammed the door of the SUV loudly as she stepped inside the B&B.

Leena looked up from her chores as the brunette agent stepped inside, her steps hurried, "Myka?" Her call went unheard as she made her way upstairs. Leena approached the bottom of the stairs and cautiously called her friend's name again, "Myka?"

"I can't talk right now Leena, I have to get packed and head out of here, we got a ping."

Leena made her way upstairs and observed from the hallway as she watched the female agent pack her bags.

"Did something happen?" she questioned her softly, and Myka managed a small smile.

"I'm alright; I just need to get out of here…" Myka froze as she spied the two books that Pete had tossed onto her bed earlier. One was a collection of old poetry, mainly Arthur Gorges' works. The other…Hamlet.

Shaking her head, Myka continued to pack.

"Myka?"

"I gotta go," spoke Myka before she zipped up her bag and hurried downstairs.

Several minutes later, Pete came walking into the B&B covered in sweat and dust. He made his way upstairs without stopping and walked into the bathroom, closing the door. He turned the shower on and took a brisk wash-down before stepping back out. He slipped into his jeans and walked out of the bathroom, heading for his room. He kept an emergency bag packed for trips, so all he had to do was change

Leena eyed the male agent warily, her hazel eyes observing him closely. Calmly she approached his room and she paused as she noticed the crumpled note resting in the bottom of the waste bin. Scooping out the note, she read it over carefully; the books were two that Myka had thought to have gone missing. He had moved out her things from his room himself, yet he held onto the two books. Pained though he was, the items carried strong sentimental value to him.

Pete changed his shirt to a simple gray t-shirt with USMC across the chest in bold black lettering. He changed his socks and slipped into his old military-issue boots. The jeans were basically clean, so he kept them. He slipped on his badge and gun and went to his closet for the trip bag that was pre-packed. Once he was set, he walked out of his room.

"Boots are a little much don't you think?" observed Leena quietly nearly spooking the male agent.

"They match my shirt," said Pete, as he slipped on a pair of shades and headed down the stairs. "Got to go, Leena."

"You can't ignore her forever Pete," called out Leena.

"Good thing I won't live that long," said Pete sarcastically as he walked out the front door, it slamming heavily behind him.

Leena's expression darkened, his aura had been near crimson, intermingled with shades of navy. He was angry, but he was hurting, even if he would not admit otherwise.

Pete walked over to the SUV, his bag in hand. He opened the rear hatch and tossed his bag inside before closing the door. He then broke out his iPod and selected an album to play. He selected his personal mix of songs by the Rolling Stones.

Wordlessly, Myka climbed into the driver's seat, and put the car into drive. Her bag was already in the back. She focused her attention on the road ahead as they began the long drive to the airport.

She couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu, feelings and memories seemingly long since past like the time they first went to Pennsylvania. Only now the awkwardness was amped up to ten. Given the last minute assignment she wagered it'd be rather difficult in acquiring rooms, in Atlantic City no less.

Hopefully this case would be over with quickly.

Pete stared ahead, his mind in its own place, the music in his headphones merely background noise. She left him and now she wants to come back like it's all okay. Just pick up where they left off. Partners. Partners until the next crisis and then she would duck out again. This mission needed to be over quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

The airport was brief as they were armed and could bypass the screen lines. The plane ride was quiet, except for two screaming infants a few seats back. Pete kept his shades on and read a magazine as if he were in a quiet café. When they arrived in Atlantic City, they rented a car. Pete was charming as he talked to the pretty blonde rental agent, his usual Lattimer smile. Once they acquired the car, he was back to being dead silent. They drove to a nearby hotel and entered the lobby.

"Need two rooms," said Pete as he approached the desk, quietly showing his credentials.

"We are low on rooms at the moment," said the clerk slowly. "Sports equipment convention. We have one room available...the honeymoon suite."

"Any other places have vacancies?"

The clerk checked the computer. "No, booked solid."

"Damn," muttered Pete, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Fine, we'll take the room."

"Very good sir," nodded the clerk. "Enjoy your stay."

"Not likely," said Pete as he took the key and headed with his bag to the nearest elevator.

Myka followed suite, taking her bag with her as she hurried to keep up with Pete. She just barely made it into the elevator with him.

The car was crowded, and for once she found it a welcome relief. At least briefly, two passengers were newlyweds, another two partygoers.

Zeroing in on a section of the wall, Myka mentally went over the case notes in her head, attempting to focus.

Pete pressed the button for their floor and remained dead silent for the entire ride. The other passengers got off at their respective floors, well below theirs. Pete and Myka rode alone for ten floors.

The pair finally hit their floor. The doors dinging as they whooshed open. Silently the pair exited the elevator, making their way silently down the hall as laughing couples passed them. Eventually they came to a stop in front of their room, using her key; Myka opened the door, and promptly stepped inside.

The room was large and spacious, the kitchen and living room were combined into one large area. A large glass coffee table accompanied by two chairs occupied the space near the entertainment system. A mini bar sat in one corner. The bedroom and the bath were located in separate rooms, both also fitted with ample space. Off to the side she could spy a second bathroom, though this one was more Spartan, consisting of a toilet and a sink.

Pete tossed his bag on one of the two chairs and then went to the other one. He started pushing it until it was side by side with the first. Since there was no sofa, this would have to do. He then went to the bedroom closet and pulled out an extra pillow and a blanket before coming back out to the living room.

Shaking her head, Myka walked into the bedroom and laid out her bag on its side. She could always unpack later. A tinny, metallic buzzing grabbed her attention and she looked up. Pete already had the Farnsworth out.

"Artie," said Pete.

"Pete," he began. "How are you and Myka settling in?"

"We just got into the room," Pete replied. "Dumping our stuff and then we'll probably get a bite before hitting the pavement."

"Keep me updated, agents and be safe," said Artie before he signed off.

Pete closed the Farnsworth and set it aside.

Myka stepped out the bedroom a few moments later, "Hey, what's the word from home base?"

"The usual," said Pete tersely.

"That being..." spoke Myka.

"Update and stay safe," said Pete, his impatience rising.

"Alright, well I was reviewing the list of viables that Artie gave us, and it looks like we're looking for an artifact that influences luck, or fortune, maybe even—"

Pete got on the phone and began ordering some room service. The menu was in his hand.

"I'll take the house pizza, some garlic bread and two spaghetti dinners," he started. "A couple of cokes. Six of them. Three regular, three diet. The honeymoon suite. Right. Thanks."

Pete hung up the phone and sat down on one of the chairs he had pushed together.

Sighing, Myka shook her head; she did have to admit she was hungry, but still...

"As I was saying, we're likely looking for an artifact that influences luck, fortune or perhaps even karma."

Moving towards him, she continued speaking, "I think the first place we should start looking is in the casinos, see if anyone's taking back a little bit more than they should."

Pete moved from the chair and went into the kitchen. The refrigerator had a bottle of champagne and some bottles of water. Pete took out a bottle of water and opened it. It was nice and cold. Some high-end stuff, the label said it was 'Chipped from an iceberg Fresh...'. He doubted that very much, but it tasted okay.

Myka looked up from the file folder in her hands as Pete took a swig of water, "So did you want to head downstairs later and split up, reach out our feelers?"

"That was the idea," said Pete.

"I didn't know, I can't exactly read minds," she remarked with a tight-lipped smile as she closed up the file folder and set it on the counter.

"I'm going to get unpacked, save me a slice of pizza."

Stepping into the bedroom, Myka closed the doors behind her before she closed the drapes and the blinds. Stepping into the bathroom she closed the door as well. She would shower first and freshen up, and then she would unpack. If Pete left her no pizza she'd rough it and get a salad or something later.

Pete sat on the chair in the living room. A few minutes later a knock sounded at the door and he walked over to it. Opening it he saw a bellhop with a cart. Pete opened the door and let him in. On the way out, Pete tipped him a sawbuck. After closing the door, Pete took a slice of pizza and put some spaghetti from one of the two dinners on top.

"Now this is the life..."

Myka stepped out of the bedroom a few minutes later, changed and refreshed. Her stomach growled at the inviting scent of food, and she inhaled in appreciation. Garlic bread, spaghetti, oregano…he didn't, did he? Her appetite nearly died just as quickly as it had arrived, the last time they had pasta together was in Paris, only they hadn't ordered out, they had actually cooked together. Still, she had to eat something. Even if the smell of the food did conjure up happier memories they once shared together.

Grabbing a plate, Myka grabbed two slices of pepperoni pizza and cracked open one of the diet sodas before she took a large bite of her slice of pizza.

Pete had already downed his spaghetti dinner and three slices of pizza before Myka came out. He ate a fourth and finished off one of the regular sodas. He then pulled out a jacket from his pack, a medium gray Members Only that he had picked up in Univille. Putting his shades in one of the pockets, Pete slipped into it. He then walked to the door and left the room. He saw a casino across the street from the hotel when they arrived. He would try there first, leaving the hotel casino for Myka.

Myka polished off the last of the pizza, and disposed of the spaghetti and garlic bread. She hated to waste food, but currently the smell only made her sick to her stomach. Slipping back inside the bedroom she finished changing and pulled on a form-fitting dark blue dress that stopped at mid-knee. She pulled on a matching pair of pumps and for the final added effect, a white short-sleeved blouse. The outfit was casual, but bordered on somewhere between tourist and professional. Exactly what she needed to blend in, but without drawing any extra attention.

Locking up the room behind her, she made her way downstairs and to the casino area. They needed to start close, and slowly work their way out, Atlantic City was a big place, and it was likely the artifact could be anywhere, even not at a casino. Loud laughter and chatter met her ears as she hit the lobby floor, and she breathed deeply before she stepped into the sea of people.

Pete went to the casino across the street from the hotel, the Brass Gong. He went to the security office first and showed his credentials, letting them know he would be moving about their floor for the evening. He was looking for someone, not a terrorist, but a possible thief and counterfeiter who was believed to be casing places to start his money-laundering operation. They cooperated and he slipped into the mix of people on the floor.

The female security officer in charge nodded at Pete and led him down to the main area. Sara stepped aside and leaned against a wall, "If you need anything my team will be waiting nearby, we don't want to draw any unneeded attention that will spook the customers."

The main floor of the casino was like observing a controlled version of chaos. All around him the chatter and laughter of people could be heard, in some cases a string of curses was heard, be it from losing customers or feuding couples. For a minute there he almost felt like he was back in Vegas, minus one foxy brunette eying both him and the floor. A loud raucous bout of laughter snapped him from his reverie as a couple passed him by. So far, things appeared normal.

Elsewhere on the casino floor, Sara quietly navigated through the crowds. Save for a lone man trying to count cards at the blackjack table everything appeared normal. She pressed her fingers to her ear as she spoke quietly, "Section 1-B clear. How are things looking on your end Lattimer?"

A loud crash came from the other side, grabbing Pete's attention. Casting a glance in the direction he spied that a busboy had spilled drinks all over the floor spilling glass and booze everywhere.

"Agent Lattimer?" Sara's voice came through the earwig, "What's happening?"

"Bus boy," said Lattimer. "Tripped over a drunk customer. Two of your security officers are responding."

"On my way," came her clipped reply.

Pete quietly observed the scene, miraculously the bus boy walked away unscathed not a scratch on him. Either he was the luckiest SOB alive or just stupidly lucky. Curious he took in his appearance closely. Sara appeared at Pete's side a scant few moments later.

"Fancy footed I take it," she remarked observing the bus boy's good luck.

"Very," said Lattimer as he checked his watch.

He had been scanning the floor for six hours. He turned to the security officer, Sara.

"I think I bothered you guys enough for tonight," said Pete. "I might be back another time though."

Sara smiled slightly; "You're always welcome in my casino—" as she held out her hand a series of shouts were heard, and seconds later a man slammed his fists down on the craps table, sending chips flying.

"You sonnuva bitch, what kind of crap you trying to pull here!"

"Sir I'm going to have to ask you to leave the table—"

"Like Hell I will! I want my money back you two timing bastard!"

Pete walked over with Sara. He stayed quietly in the background as she and three other security officers approached the table.

"I swear these damned tables are rigged, all rigged!" The man ranted on.

"Sir I can assure you that is not the case—"

"How do you explain that bum walking away with my money then!" The man gestured wildly, "If I find the bastard I'll—"

Sara decided that now was the time to intervene and she nodded at the security officers.

Pete watched as the three other security officers moved in to subdue the man. He resisted at first but he eventually stopped fighting and was escorted out of the casino. Pete meanwhile had walked off to take a look at the aforementioned 'bum' that took the man's money. Pete made a note of the man, memorizing his features as well as writing down some descriptors for later recall.

He also had notes on the bus boy earlier. If there was one thing he learned in this job, it was it could literally be anyone. Artifact users had no profile or type. Pete returned to the casino floor and located the security officer, Sara.

Sara flagged down Pete before she approached him, "Sorry about that, we've been getting our usual share of trouble makers that man included. Former employee got laid off last week."

"I see," said Pete with a nod. "What about that bus boy? Anything unusual about him since he's been working here?"

Henry? I wouldn't be surprised if he's been drinking on the job again out back during breaks, he nearly got let go himself, but he stopped drinking on breaks, so I heard." replied Sara.

"Hmm," said Pete as he thought over her words for a moment. He then extracted a business card from his wallet and wrote something on the back. "Here is my card, Officer DiGuardi. If you see or hear anything suspicious related to streaks of luck, let me know."

DiGuardi nodded as she took the card from Pete and placed it into her jacket's inner pocket. She extracted a card of her own and handed it to Pete, "Here's my card, if you feel the need to contact me for anything," she smiled slightly at Pete.

Pete took the card and nodded, offering her a Lattimer smile. She was cute and good at her job. He slipped the card into his wallet and put it back in his pocket.

"I'll see you around then, Officer DiGuardi."

Pete turned and headed for the entrance of the casino. Time to head back to the room and compare notes. He had a few observations to go over and he wanted to look more at that Henry guy.


	3. Chapter 3

Myka scribbled down some notes as she sat at the bar, a half finished virgin strawberry daiquiri resting near her on the bartop. So far, her observations had yielded not much of anything. This late in the afternoon the crowds were still pouring in and the money was flowing freely as was the liquor. She bore front row seats to two women likely hookers fighting over a man that ended with the pair landing in the lobby fountain before they were promptly hauled off by hotel security. Earlier a man nearly attempted to run off with an entire case of poker chips after feeling he had gotten cheated by the dealer. Security tackled him to the floor before he managed to get very far.

But beyond that it appeared to be just another day in Atlantic City. Pocketing her notepad, Myka polished off her drink and spied a man that had been sitting a few seats away from her on the other side of the bar nursing a vodka martini. The guy had barely moved from the bar, his attentions were focused on the floor, and automatically she suspected something fishy. He made no moves to talk to her and from what she could gather he was likely just another poor fool down and out on his luck.

Setting her empty glass down on the bartop, Myka stood up and exited from the casino. Hopefully Pete had better luck.

Pete made his way across the street and into the hotel. He entered the lobby and strolled into the hotel's casino. He looked around briefly but did not see any signs of Myka. Shrugging, he turned and headed for the elevators, eventually making his way back to the room.

Myka looked up as she heard the door to the room open, and she held back a smile, "Hey, long day huh? How did you make out at the Brass Gong?"

"Nothing solid," said Pete as he slowly slid out of his jacket, tossing it and the shades on his 'bed'. He was tired from pounding the floor all night and getting bumped around by the clientele of the Brass Gong. He went to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door, putting his head inside.

"Likewise," replied Myka as she kicked off her shoes, rubbing her aching calves as she pulled out her notepad. "If there's anything going on around here, it's not at the Wild Horseman Casino."

"Not yet," said Pete, his voice echoing slightly from the freezer.

"It's only day one, and it's late, I think we should compare notes and call it a night." Leaning back in her chair Myka let her eyes flutter closed briefly; it'd been a tiring and stressful day. They stayed up any longer they'd both be burned out and extremely agitated. And right now she felt more like a lover than a fighter, to a certain degree mind you.

"I saw two possibles at the Brass Gong," said Pete. "One with bad luck to an extreme, but he was a frustrated ex-employee. The other, a busboy, tripped over a drunk and came away unscathed, unstained and otherwise unmessed-up. He apparently was close to losing his job but stopped drinking on breaks according to the security officer there."

Sitting up, Myka opened her eyes and set down her notepad on the table, "Two possibles, but both highly likely to be run-of-the-mill occurrences," observed Myka. "Places like these usually attract the down and outers."

"Yup," said Pete.

"Nothing unusual on my end either, unless you call two hookers fighting it over a man unusual," she replied with a wry smile. "Other highlights of my day included a man who tried to make off with an entire case of poker chips. Apparently he felt like he had been cheated by the dealer."

"That was the ex-employee's beef...," said Pete slowly, removing his head from the freezer. "Make a note of that. Coincidences don't happen naturally."

"Got it," replied Myka as she pulled out her pen and jotted down some extra notes to the information she had already gathered, "Artie call again by any chance or no?" asked Myka as she capped her pen.

"No," said Pete. "And mark the time you saw that guy with the chips. My guy happened at around 1045 hours."

Myka nodded and uncapped her pen, "On it," glancing over her notes she double-checked the work before she capped her pen again and set it down. "Think we should stake out the casinos again tomorrow, see if history repeats itself?"

"Tomorrow morning I'll get on the computer and see how many casinos are in the area," Pete started. "I think he'll stick with the bigger ones where he can blend in better. Kinda like Where's Waldo. Then we'll see where we go."

"Okay, though I think we should hit the larger casinos together," Myka ducked her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "Unless you think it'd be better if we split up again." She bit down on her lip, she had only suggested it since the city was huge, and there was no telling what kind of trouble they'd possibly face, and two sets of eyes were better than one right?

"I made a good connection with a security officer at the Brass Gong," said Pete as he ducked back into the freezer. "I think we should stay split up until we build a network with the various security teams."

"Fair enough," replied Myka as she stood up, grabbing her shoes, "You want me to take the Farnsworth for the night?"

"I got it," said Pete, standing back and closing the freezer door.

He looked at Myka briefly and saw what she was wearing. He took in her form slowly, tracing down her long legs. He then turned away and got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

Myka raised an eyebrow slightly at Pete's behavior, shaking her head she walked towards the bedroom, casting a glance over her shoulder, "Night Pete."

Pete didn't respond, he just looked out of the sliding glass door leading to the balcony. Taking in the view of Atlantic City.

The doors to the bedroom closed softly behind Myka as she stepped inside. Pausing to lean against the dresser she closed her eyes, taking a small moment to catch her breath. The room was quiet, allowing her a moment of peace and solitude. Straightening her stance she changed out of her dress and hung it up on a clothes hanger before she slipped into her pajamas, a soft pair of long light blue pants, and a faded gray t-shirt. Turning off the lights she slipped under the covers, pulling a pillow close to her form.

The bed was even bigger than the one she had back at the B&B, far, _far_ too big. One intended for couples. Closing her eyes shut tight, she bit back a sob. Sniffling, she buried her face into the pillow fighting desperately to hold back her tears and her body shook.

It was the same routine for her every night, painful agony. Rolling onto her side, Myka pulled the covers to her form closely, trying not to focus on the fact that her partner and her former lover was in the next room over.

Pete walked out onto the covered balcony off of the living room area. He sat on one of the lounge chairs and leaned his head back, taking a sip of water. He set the bottle down on the floor next to him and fell asleep dreaming about different colored bottles. Brown, green, clear...blue.

"Can't...," was the last word to cross Pete's lips before he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Myka opened her eyes sleepily, and stretched tiredly, finding her legs to be tangled between the sheets and blankets. She felt exhausted despite having slept, her eyes feeling like lead weights. Yawning she rubbed away the sleep and pushed herself up to a sitting position before she willed herself to climb out of bed. Shower, she needed a shower. That always got her going.

First order of business though, breakfast. Reaching for the phone, Myka dialed the front desk. Twisting the cord between her fingers she rested the phone on her lap as she spoke.

"Yeah, hi, I'd like to order room service. Eggs Florentine with wheat toast—"

Myka looked up as she heard movement from out on the balcony; and she turned her attention immediately back to the phone, "Actually scratch that, I'd like one large stack of chocolate chip pancakes with maple breakfast links, and a side of white toast. You know what, make that two orders, and for the second order can I get raisin toast? Also, two glasses of orange juice and some coffee. Great, thanks, room 1304."

Resting the phone on the receiver, she placed it back on the nightstand before she leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes.

She barely touched sweets unless she was stressing, and right now a stack of pancakes covered in maple syrup sounded fantastic. Pete had a weakness for chocolate chips, especially in pancake form, his second weakness. She couldn't help it; even at his most cynical she still loved him even if it wracked her heart with pain. She swore up and down she'd never let herself fall for a bad boy type, or rather for that matter, one that was borderline jock material.

But Pete?

He had managed to worm his way right into her heart, and she in turn had ripped it apart. Writing that letter was painful and agonizing enough, quietly slipping away seemed easier then telling him he deserved better, and that she didn't deserve him, especially after the chaos that one H.G. Wells wrought. Oh, they had saved the world indeed, but she still left a damaging mark upon the team, especially the relationship with her partner. And now, its state more closely resembled that of a shattered vase, its pieces scattered everywhere upon the floor, much like the pieces of her heart.

Retreating to the safety of the bathroom, Myka closed the door behind her, the shower soon sputtered to life.

Pete got out of the chair and stretched. When he awoke to the sounds of early morning Atlantic City, he was, at first, mildly surprised. He then remembered where he was and gazed out over the skyline for a few moments. Turning and going inside, he heard that Myka was in the shower. He sighed and extracted his toothbrush and toothpaste, going to the kitchen sink.

After brushing his teeth, Pete went to his bag and pulled out a fresh t-shirt and changed. He would just have to grab a shower later. He was going to go out and visit a few more casinos early on to see about establishing a network. A net, more like it. He would need a lot more than just two sets of eyes. Atlantic City had a number of casinos and there was no way to be everywhere at once.

Slipping on his badge, gun, jacket and shades, Pete headed out to begin his work. He would catch breakfast at a diner someplace. He hesitated, thinking about leaving a note for Myka, but then he just shrugged and closed the door. On his way to the elevator he shot her a text.

Moments later he was out on the pavement of Atlantic City with a map in his hand heading to his first, as yet unvisited, casino.

Myka slipped out of the bathroom, a knock alerting her that room service had arrived and…her partner was nowhere in sight. Sighing, she pulled her robe tightly to her form and moved to answer the door, not before stopping to retrieve her wallet. Checking her phone she saw that Pete had sent her a text; apparently he decided to get on early start on scoping out the city. She cursed herself mentally, she hadn't thought to leave him a note that she had ordered them both breakfast, perhaps she was feeling even more stressed out than she thought.

Pulling out a crisp twenty dollar bill she answered the door, and handed the twenty to the busboy.

"I just want one plate of pancakes and the coffee," she stated somberly as she passed him the twenty dollar bill.

"What about the rest of it?" replied the busboy, his expression confused as he took the twenty.

Myka forced a small smile, "You can take the rest of it back, I don't want it."

Turning around, she stepped back inside the room, and stood back as the busboy set the requested items on the table. Confused and perhaps a little perturbed the young man exited the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Sitting down at the table, Myka poured syrup all over her stack of pancakes, almost as though she was intent on drowning her breakfast in maple syrup. Hungrily she dug into her food, eating in large bites as she proceeded to make short work of her meal.

After finishing with her breakfast Myka went back into the bedroom to change. She decided on a long-sleeved, billowy black blouse, and a pair of white Capri's, and black shoes. On any other day she'd happily opt for a pant suit, on the other hand being she was trying to pass off as a tourist, the look would likely only go against her. Slipping the Tesla into her purse, Myka exited from the hotel room and sent Pete a text indicating she had left the room, and promptly pocketed her phone upon nearing the elevator.

Closing her eyes she leaned against the inside of the elevator as she thought over her game plan for the day. Idly, she couldn't help but ponder how her friends were doing on their on assignment. With Jinks on board, Claudia was seeing more time in the field. She vaguely wondered how her boss felt about it all, granted it meant that the brilliant techie was out of his hair, but there was no denying that he worried about his young pupil, even if she did have the tendency to drive him absolutely mad from time to time.

Pete sat quietly at the counter of a small diner. He had a big frosty glass of orange juice, a stack of blueberry pancakes, some sausage links and a slice of black cherry pie. He had felt like chocolate chip pancakes but they did not have them at this diner. He would have to check at the hotel as an idea for tomorrow's breakfast. After attacking his pancakes for a moment, Pete stopped to take a sip of his orange juice.

He had visited four different casinos in the area. Three were in walking distance of each other. The fourth, more of a high-roller casino, Pete had just gone into mainly to establish rapport. So far he had not heard anything out of the ordinary from any of the gamblers he had overheard. The grapevine in the casinos was better than the internet at times. Pulling out his phone to check for messages, Pete saw a text from Myka saying that she left the hotel room. Setting the phone down on the counter, Pete finished his breakfast.

Another stack of pancakes and a two glasses of orange juice later, Pete was out on the pavement again. He had worked this side of town near the hotel pretty well. If there was a gambler with an artifact that influenced luck, nothing big had flared up as of yet. He would patrol the Blue Mermaid for four hours and then head over to The Gold Strike for another four. Then he would stop by The Brass Gong and see what, if anything, Sara had come across there. Pete felt he had done pretty well building up a network today. Hopefully something would come of it.

No big action started until later, so Pete would start his tour at around eight o'clock this evening. He would get back to the hotel probably around five in the morning. Couple hours of sleep and he would be back out again.

Seeing that he still had some hours to kill, Pete decided to pick himself up a nice out-of-towner type suit. Something slick, but not too James Bond. A corporate exec type looking for a few hours of action.

Stopping by a small store, Pete saw something on the rack that caught his eye.

"That will do," he said to himself with a small smile.

A beautiful blonde looked up from folding an armload of silk shirts, and she smiled warmly at Pete. Setting the stack of shirts onto the counter she approached the male agent, "Hey handsome, is there anything I can help you find?"

Pete turns and looks over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to the blonde.

"Hi," he began. "I'm just looking for a...quiet, down to earth suit that also has a Gordon Gekko kinda feel. You know?"

"Sure I can't change your mind?" she replied with a smile, "Maybe some black and red, a little more James Bond? I think the colors would look great on you, and you'd really hit it big with the ladies."

"Lattimer, Pete Lattimer," said Pete in his best Sean Connery accent before using his patented smile. "No, but thanks. I just want to stay low key."

"In that case, I think I have just the thing for you, Mr. Lattimer," she held out her hand and smiled, "My name's Cassidy by the way." Turning around she led him over to a rack of suits in earth tones. Pulling a suit off the rack she turned back towards Pete.

"This would look great on you, though I think a custom fit may be in order," she remarked as she glanced Pete over, "First though let me know what you like best, and we'll work from there, alright?"

Pete took her hand and shook it gently before turning her hand over and kissing it softly. "You are always good to me, Moneypenny."

Chuckling a bit, Pete checked out the suit she picked and examined the others. He nodded to himself a bit.

"I think the one there works."

"Great!" beamed Cassidy as she handed him the suit, turning she grabbed a couple shirts and ties for him to try on with the suit. "Why don't you try these on, and see which one you like most?" Gesturing behind him she pointed out where the dressing room was located, "I'll be right outside, take all the time you need."

Pete walked into the changing room and picked a classic white shirt with the gray-brown suit. Opting for an after-hours look, Pete did not put on a tie. He stepped back out of the dressing room to use the larger mirror and see if he had gotten the right effect.

Outside the store, Myka strolled through the shopping plaza, her eyes currently focused on her phone. Earlier she had scoped out some small local casinos, trying to see anyone had noticed anything unusual, if someone was using an artifact to bolster their fortune it made more sense to her that they'd start off small, rather than start off big. Pocketing her phone she shot a glance around the shopping plaza and in one corner spied a man playing a guess the card game, other than that nothing unusual.

A short distance away she heard laughter and looked towards the source, in one of the shops she caught a glimpse of her partner…and a blonde woman was standing behind him…her hands running down his shoulders and arms. Part of her was hurt, another part slightly jealous. She couldn't help but idly wonder, was he goofing off on the job? Throwing another glance towards the direction of the man with the guess card she spied a small crowd forming but shrugged it off and entered the store.

If anything she could see if he learned anything new.

"Hey, shopping around for info or just shopping around?"

"Shopping for my shift tonight," said Pete. "Cassidy, this is my partner Myka Bering."

"So that's what they're calling it these days," remarked Cassidy as she held out her hand.

"Excuse me?" replied Myka.

"Friends with—"

"Hardly," remarked Myka pointedly, her green eyes cold as ice, "We _work_ together."

"Yeah," said Pete, smiling as he covertly slid himself between Cassidy and Myka. "She's my partner. We're a couple of federal cops on holiday. Blowing off some steam. You know."

"Right," replied Cassidy, her eyes narrowing as she glanced the female agent's way before she focused her attention back on Pete, "So would you like me to wrap that suit up for you?" She remarked, giving him a sweet saccharine smile, "I could probably even get your _partner_ here a deal at one of our local fashion outlets."

"If you could wrap up the suit, I'd appreciate it," said Pete as he checked his watch. "My partner and I have to take a conference call from our boss. I'll be back in to get the suit within ten minutes."

Cassidy smiled at Pete, "You got it Mr. Bond," she stated as she flashed him a wink. "I'll be sure to get you a card for your friend, if she's still interested."

Myka remained silent, her eyes appearing as though they could melt steel.

"Be right back," said Pete as he ushered Myka outside.

The door to the shop closed behind them and Pete walked out a bit away from the shop before he turned to Myka as he flipped through his notebook.

"What was that?" he said. "You completely overreacted in there."

Tearing out a page from his book, he handed Myka a paper with the names and numbers he had collected during his networking.

"I see Cassidy's already worked her magic," she remarked snidely as she looked over the sheet and turned away from him.

"Myka, don't you turn away from me," said Pete, his tone a mixture of hurt, confusion and anger. "She's a store clerk trying to make a sale by appealing to my ego. She knows, I know. It's the game. I don't even know why you're upset anyway."

"Just, just forget it alright?" she barely whispered as she closed her eyes, blinking away tears.

"No," said Pete, his confusion fueling into frustration. "Get it out here and now, Myka!"

Myka exhaled shakily; thankfully it was at that moment the Farnsworth sounded off.

Pete extracted the Farnsworth from his pocket and opened it, turning off the tinny ringing sound.

"Hey Claudia."

"Pete, oh thank god, listen you're an expert on pies right?"

"I've tried a few, I guess..."

"Yeah, well get a load of this pie master," replied Claudia. "Artie sent Jinksy and I on a little artifact retrieval mission of our own, and get this, for the original Frisbee."

"Wow, the original one?" said Pete. "The Cake pan thingy?"

"That's what I was wondering about; I was thinking though that perhaps it's the pie plate, though for all we know we're going to need start visiting old gourmet popcorn shops. Before the pie plate got airborne, future husband and wife were using the lid from a popcorn can."

"Well, maybe," said Pete. "It might be the prototype he designed when he got back from World War II, the Whirlo-Way. It strikes me that would be the closest to what caused it to become an artifact in the first place."

"Only in our world could a beloved childhood pastime evolve into an evil artifact," quipped Claudia. "Gotta love it."

Myka stepped off to the side briefly as Pete continued to converse with Claudia on the Farnsworth. She frowned as her eyes fell on the man toting the guess the card game she spotted earlier; his small crowd had since doubled in size. Curious, she approached the table and stood off to the side quietly observing. A man standing off to the side leaning against a support pillar stepped forward as the man flagged him down, likely a random demonstration or a fellow artist in on the game. Or someone with extraordinary good luck?

Pete finished his conversation with Claudia and closed up the Farnsworth. He walked over to where Myka was standing.

"We're not done with this," he said.

As he walked away, Pete felt a vibe hit him. He turned and observed the crowd gathering around a shell-game of sorts. He looked over the game and the faces of the crowd. He picked out a few of what appeared to be the 'major players' of the scene. If he saw any of them in the casinos with a long winning streak, he would check them out.

Continuing on, Pete returned to the shop to collect his suit.

Cassidy looked up from wrapping up a box just as Pete stepped back in the store. Hesitantly she looked past his shoulder to see if Myka was still with him, "Your suit's all wrapped and ready to go," she remarked as she retrieved a bag from under the counter.

"How much?" asked Pete

"It'll be five eighty," replied Cassidy.

"Right...," said Pete slowly as he pulled out a card from his wallet.

Cassidy took his card and asked for his ID and she processed the purchase. She smiled at him as she handed him back his receipt along with a business card, "For your *partner*, if you're going to both in town in awhile you can get in touch with me if you need anything."

"I know she came in here a little angry earlier," said Pete. "She really is a good person though, Cassidy. I've worked with her a while and we do have each other's back, in all matters. If we do come back, I hope we all can start from the beginning. I think you'd like her."

Cassidy shrugged and smiled slightly, "Believe me, it's not the first time I had something like that happen here. I'm sorry if I upset her, these days you really can't tell with most people, I apologize if I struck a nerve with her, or rather the both of you."

Pete nodded, smiling slightly. "I think you're a good person too, Cassidy. See ya around."

Taking his suit, Pete walked out of the store and headed back for the hotel.

Moments after the crowd had dispersed, Myka hailed a cab, deciding to head back to the hotel, not entirely intent on throwing on her proverbial boxing gloves to have yet another round with Pete. On the ride back she reviewed her notes carefully going over what new information she had gathered that morning. Hopefully with the evening rolling in some new information would surface back at the casino.

Sighing she leaned against the seat thinking over their verbal quarrel earlier. First she felt like she was treading on eggshells, now the sensation was more akin to walking on hot coals. It reminded her of when he had sought her out to help with the lost folio; he needed her help yet he was reluctant to have her aid, only seeking her out when needed, and just as quickly disappearing. It felt like déjà vu, and then the incident at the hospital...did he truly think she'd leave again?

Closing her notepad, she decided to contact Artie when they got back to the room, at least she could hopefully find out some new information using what she and Pete had gathered to better narrow down the artifact.

Pete walked back to the hotel, his mind swirling with thoughts. Did he really just defend Myka, stand up for her? She left him, not the other way around. She had also left him again; she was not outside the store when he walked out. Thankfully he had a long night scheduled and would not be alone in the hotel room with her much, if at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Myka stopped by the hotel casino first, deciding to see if hotel security had turned up anything new since her last visit. Nothing. Deciding to come by later, she made her way back up to the room.

There was no way of knowing when Pete would be back, and she shivered, remembering their icy exchange outside the store earlier. Pete had the Farnsworth, so that meant she'd have to wait until he got back before she could talk to Artie. He had a large stack of paperwork sitting on his desk the last she remembered, and she was highly skeptical much progress had been made, especially with Claudia being out in the field. Leena would likely be helping him. Deciding to go for a different approach, she pulled out her laptop and quickly typed up an email, detailing what little information she and Pete had managed to put together.

She scrawled out a copy of her notes from today, regarding the guess the card game observed outside the shop, along with her own hypotheses written nearby. Tearing the page from her journal, Myka folded it in half and wrote a brief note to Pete:

_Pete,_

_I'm sorry about earlier, but there's something I found fishy about that guy toting the guess the card game to the tourists. Tourist trap perhaps, but it seemed like the crowd that he had attracted wasn't overly thrilled, more losers than winners save for one person. Long dirty blonde hair, maybe brown with a heavy unkempt beard, ball cap and sunglasses. Going to head back to the city later, see if he's a regular at any of the casinos I visited there earlier. Checked with hotel security by the casino, nothing new. Sent a copy of our notes to Artie, my notes from earlier today are attached. _

_I'll probably be back late tonight, don't wait up for me._

_~M_

Closing up her laptop, Myka read over her note, her fingers lingering on the paper as she set aside her pen. Gently, she folded the note carefully; eventually she folded it into a small square, the edges smooth and neat. She smiled sadly as she gazed upon the small square.

Shortly after they had started dating Pete had taken to leaving her notes in the form of origami, for each day he'd leave her a different animal, first a duck, later a swan, and finally a fox. One weekend she had spent coping with a particularly nasty cold he'd left her a single rose, later surprising her with the real thing and dinner. Not much longer after that, they had grown closer. And now…

Blinking away tears she set the note on the counter and quietly slipped out of the room, taking her bag with her. She'd get dinner later in the city.

Pete walked into the hotel room and set his suit down across a chair. He did not hear anything and did a brief walk through, finding the rest of the suite empty. Shrugging, he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. As he turned to go back and pick up his suit, he saw a piece of paper on the counter. It was too neatly folded to be from anyone else but Myka.

Setting his water bottle down he opened it, reading the contents. Pete threw away the note in the kitchen trash and then went to pick up his suit. Looks like it was going to be a late night for everybody. Pete showered, since he did not get a chance to this morning, changed and walked out of the hotel room. He would pound the pavement a little bit before starting his casino reconnaissance.

As he rode down to the lobby in the elevator, he caught a reflection of himself, of his expression. He was briefly recalling a time when he and Myka actually enjoyed these missions. Seeing different areas of the country, the world. Now it was so tense between them, so uneasy. So, to be frank, upsetting. Pete wondered if it might be wise to have a talk with Artie and see about shifting partners for a while. A long while.

As the doors opened onto the lobby, Pete put aside all his other thoughts. He had work to do and an artifact to find.

Exiting the hotel, Pete started out on the streets of Atlantic City, heading for his first casino of the night.

Myka returned to the city roughly an hour later, evening rush hour was in full swing and thus she found herself re-reviewing her notes from earlier. She could only hazard a guess as to what the traffic would be like come the weekend; she suspected it would likely be twice as bad if not worse with the tourists coming into town. Closing up her notepad she shot a glance out the window, they were drawing near the city's edge where she had originally started. Signaling to the driver to pull over she climbed out of the cab, deciding to traverse the rest of the path on foot.

People were out roaming about peddling brightly colored fliers and papers, many of which consisted of advertisements for gentleman's clubs and lounge shows, and a select few guided tours around the city. Paying the locals little heed, she marched on ahead, remaining ever vigilant of her surroundings. Tesla or not, she was more than able to handle herself should anyone think of giving her trouble. Pete could attest to this firsthand, she remembered with a slight smile the first time that they sparred together. To this day she idly wondered if he had let her have the upper hand, or she had simply out bested him. She did remember one thing, he found her movements froglike. She'd have to ask him about this, one day…maybe…

Stopping on the street Myka glanced around the area before she turned her attention back to her map, she was now in the same area she had been with Pete earlier. The man with the guess the card game was gone and in his place she spied a man playing a guitar, an empty guitar case at his feet. Nearby was another man crouched on the ground surrounded by several cans of spray paint, accompanied by a stack of cardboard, a spray paint artist most likely.

Myka glanced back in the direction of the suit shop and sighed. Perhaps she had indeed overreacted earlier, there again, there was that remark she had made about her relationship with Pete. She blushed, she had acted a little possessively, perhaps she had deserved it. Now was the time to mend fences, Cassidy was a local to this area, so it was possible she could provide her with some Intel on the man she spotted earlier.

Steeling her nerves, Myka entered the suit shop. She smiled slightly as she spotted the blonde working behind the counter.

"Hi, Cassidy was it?" Myka stated as she stopped next to the counter, "I'm Myka; I was in here earlier today with my partner Pete."

"Look, I'm really sorry about earlier," Cassidy smiled nervously as she held her hands up apologetically, "I didn't mean to upset you."

Myka smiled shyly, "I overreacted, I think we should start over, get started on the right foot."

"Sounds good to me," Cassidy replied with a warm smile. "Your partner Pete seems like a really sweet guy."

Myka nodded, managing a small smile, though her eyes hinted at something more; sadness, "He is."

Cassidy smiled, nodding her head knowingly, "So were you here about that card I offered your partner earlier? I could help you find a really great deal on a nice dress or two if you're still interested."

Myka shook her head, pushing a strand of hair behind one ear as she did, "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with something regarding some information on the locals…," reaching inside her purse she extracted her notepad and pen, and pointed to the area outside the store. "Know anything?"

"Depends on what you want to know, you still interested in that deal?"" replied Cassidy as she leaned on the counter, Myka couldn't help but smile, she was persistent she certainly gave her that.

"If you're still willing to help me," replied Myka, deciding to humor the woman.

"Not at all," replied Cassidy with a smile. "I aim to please, now what is it that you wanted to know?"

Pete slowly circled the floor of his first casino. He was starting to dislike gambling establishments. Far too loud and the music was terrible. It was like standing in the middle of a carousel blender, sights, sounds, colors, people. How anyone could live their lives in such a place amazed him. There again, after all of his time at the Warehouse and the B&B, maybe the quietness had gotten to him.

He stopped when he saw a man hit a jackpot on one of the slot machines and then hit another right behind it. Pete watched him for a moment and sighed as the man struck out four times in a row.

"Damn," Pete muttered to himself before moving on.

He was having about the same luck as he had had the previous night. Nothing.

That man with the two-in-a-row jackpot was the third such streak Pete had witnessed that dried up just as quickly. The story of the casino. An entire paycheck could be lost in a night or less. After four hours at The Blue Mermaid, Pete paid his bar tab of fake mojitos. A whopping eight dollars for a headache and not a lot of progress. Stopping by the main security office, Pete thanked the supervisor and a few of the guards before he left and headed across the street to The Gold Strike.

Pete headed for the main security office there and showed his credentials to get in. He might just help watch the monitors for an hour or so on this one. Let his barking dogs rest for a while. He was buzzed inside the door and then walked inside; going up to the supervisor that he had met earlier, Chief Officer Edward Tarrant

"Chief Tarrant," said Pete as he walked up, extending his hand.

"Special Agent Lattimer," Tarrant replied, shaking Pete's hand. "What say we do first names, eh? All this title stroking gets ridiculous after a while."

"Works for me, Ed," said Pete.

"Good, Pete," chuckled Edward. "We've been looking around for your guy, or at least his identifying behavior. So far, we haven't had any solid leads. You have no photos of the guy?"

"Nothing conclusive," said Pete. "My partner is working on running down the details of his description. The file was incomplete. Government bureaucracy."

"Don't I know it," Edward replied. "Marine Corps. for twenty years. Heard and seen more than my fair share of that."

"Marine, huh?" said Pete.

"Yup, Made Master Gunny before I took my leave of the service."

"Was a Captain myself," Pete replied.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that," said Edward. "Small world. Well, as one jarhead to another, I am hungry. You up for some chow?"

"I could definitely use something," nodded Pete.

"Heyfield, I have the radio," said Edward. "I'll be in the back lunch area for my break. Call me if you need me."

"You got it, Chief," Heyfield replied.

Edward and Pete walked out of the main security office and through a back corridor to a nicely furnished lunch room. It had no staff and was all self-service. Dirty dishes were placed on a moving belt that took them to the kitchen. The food options were excellent.

"Heck of a break room," said Pete.

"Bet you have nothing like it at your office, huh?" joked Edward.

"Well, our boss does bake cookies."

"Huh," Edward replied. "So you network with any of the other casinos, I guess?"

"A few," Pete replied. "Building it as I go."

The two men picked up trays, plates and flatware before moving towards the displayed food items. Barbeque chicken, chicken-fried steak, ribs, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, chili, four different soups, cakes, ice cream and many different drinks. This was Pete's favorite casino so far.

"I don't envy your job," said Edward. "Finding one guy in this town is ridic..."

Edward was cut off by the ringing of Pete's cell phone. Pete set down his tray of food and answered the call. It was Officer Sara DiGuardi from the Brass Gong.

"Agent Lattimer?" came her voice. "It's Sara from the Brass Gong. You might want to get here. We think your man is here."

"What?" said Pete, almost excitedly.

"A man just won eight hands of blackjack and another four turns at roulette," she said. "Still following him. Keep you updated!"

The call ended and Pete hurriedly dialed Myka.


	6. Chapter 6

Shortly after Myka had spoken with Cassidy, the shop clerk directed her to a neighboring store that specialized specifically in evening wear for women. It turned out that the shop clerk knew the store's owner, and what was more, she had managed to garner further information on the locals in the area, in exchange for purchasing a couple dresses.

One was a form-fitting, one shoulder cobalt blue party dress adorned with a rhinestone pin in the front, the cut of the dress was reminiscent of something a Grecian goddess would wear. The other was simplistic, a long-sleeved black mini-dress with a plunging neckline. The sleeves were sheer, almost translucent, the rest of the dress done up in a metallic mesh giving it a soft shimmer.

Once she had finished speaking to the owner of the dress shop she left, heading back toward the casinos she had visited earlier that day. At the behest of both Cassidy and the dress shop owner, she donned her newly bought blue dress and had the other items sent back to the hotel.

She spent four hours each, both at separate casinos, and six virgin daiquiris later, all she had to show for it was a pounding headache. If her mystery man was still around tonight, he certainly wasn't here at The Diamond Stallion or The Lucky Boots.

The first hour she spent prowling the floor of the first casino turned up nothing, the second she spent working with security as she watched the cameras, and again nothing, save for a man attempting to channel Dustin Hoffman, amongst other things. Currently her search had proven equally fruitless at The Lucky Boots. If there was one thing that she could be absolutely certain of it was that Atlantic City was one great big tourist trap.

Idly, she wondered if the man she spotted outside the suit shop earlier was just a local bum with unnaturally good luck or if he had simply been in on his buddy's act. Games like that were surefire tourist traps, more often than not a gimmick; an unbeatable game. Had she missed something?

She held a hand to her head as she sat at the bar, her drink untouched, all around her the sound blurred into a continuous loop of laughter, machines, and sirens. She nearly sat bolt upright when her phone buzzed to life on the counter. Rubbing her forehead, Myka picked up her phone and turned it on.

"Myka," she replied as she held the phone to her ear.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at The Lucky Boots casino in the city," she remarked tiredly as she squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Why, where are you what's going on?"

"You need to head over to the Brass Gong, Myka," said Pete as he made his own way there.

"The Brass Gong? That's the place across the street from the hotel right? Did something turn up?"

"Officer DiGuardi tipped me off about some guy," Pete replied, his voice obvious that he was running through the city. "Big time strange behavior."

Myka glanced at her watch briefly before she spoke up again, "I'm not far from you, should we meet up or—"

"Already on my way to the Brass Gong!"

"Alright, alright separately then, I'll see you soon." Pocketing her phone, Myka paid for her tab and exited the casino, hailing the nearest available cab. Within minutes she was back on the road. Finally, they had a break.

Pete ran through the streets, not bothering to try and hail a cab. With the traffic picking up, it would most likely serve only to slow him down. He slipped inbetween a few cars stopped at a traffic light and began to weave through the crowds on the sidewalk.

Roughly half an hour later she arrived at The Brass Gong. Quickly getting out of the cab she entered the casino, and scanned the floor for her partner. Frowning she found him nowhere in sight, and amidst the sea of people he could be anywhere. Myka turned around as she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder and she turned on her heel.

"Nice dress," said Pete.

Myka blushed, "Thanks, Cassidy helped me pick it out," ducking her head, Myka cleared her throat. "You said you found something?"

"Come with me."

Nodding, she followed her partner as he led the way, leading them to casino's security offices. Outside the door, a red-haired woman in a black suit stood waiting, she nodded at the pair as she opened the door, leading them down a long hallway, "Agent Lattimer, glad you could make it, is this your partner Agent Bering?"

Myka nodded, "I'm Agent Myka Bering. Pete tells me you think you've found our mystery man?"

"He's certainly a mystery alright," replied Sara, and Myka frowned.

"I don't understand,"

"You'll understand when you see the footage, right this way."

In the main security office, Pete and Myka stood as Officer DiGuardi pointed out the different footage that had been taken. Another of the casino's security detail worked the feedback.

"Nothing out of the ordinary at first," said Sara. "Some people get streaks, but this guy was something else. Eight turns in a row at blackjack. After the third time straight, we had someone watching him for signs of card counting. His reactions are too quick though, too erratic, see? It doesn't look like he's planning his moves at all."

"It looks like he was just saying 'Hit me, hit me' and then stopped at the right time," said Pete slowly. "Every time."

"Right," nodded Sara. "And he only seemed to move when he spotted a couple of our guys eyeing him."

"The rate he was going he was a few steps away from spray painting his name across the table," observed Myka.

"Right, Agent Bering," Sara continued. "That's when he moved to the roulette wheel. Started in on that too, immediately."

"How many times there?"

"Four in a row."

"Wow, four?"

"Yeah, and then he moved on again to the craps table," said Sara. "Kirk, find that footage for me, please?"

"Sure, Sara," the feedback operator replied.

Pete had studied more than the target man in the footage. He saw some of the people at the same table with the man and some from games surrounding him. The dealer at the other tables had significant stacks of chips. Reverse luck for the house at those tables. They were cleaning up where the dealer at the table with their target was getting hammered. Pete shook his head.

"You seeing what I'm seeing Pete?" whispered Myka.

"Yeah," said Pete quietly.

The footage from the craps game came up and Sara pointed at it.

"Here he got smarter," she began. "He would play a game once or twice and move on."

"Started out playing big, started playing small," remarked Myka. She frowned as she noticed something unusual on one of the cameras and she leaned forward slightly. "That man there, focus in on him."

"Kirk, camera forty-seven, please," said Sara.

The display came up with a live-feed image labeled as camera number forty-seven. On it was that same man playing quarter slots. He would not make as much money there, but Pete figured he was less obvious in the crowd at the slot games.

"The slots," said Pete.

"Yup," said Sara. "I have four men around him, keeping an eye on him for you. All you have to do is say the word and we can move in."

"Agent Bering and I will go out there first," said Pete. "We'll signal when we're ready."

"You got it," Sara replied as she handed both agents radios.

Pete checked out the feed for a moment and then turned and headed for the door of the office. He opened it and exited, heading back out towards the casino. His walking around there had left him with a decent map of the place in his head. They were so close now.

Myka studied the video feed briefly before she swiftly followed after her partner. She spied him standing near the edge of the casino floor, quietly observing the area, his eyes taking in his surroundings. Stopping behind him, she spoke up quietly, "By the slots right? I say we circle around him, approach from opposite sides, form a vice," she whispered.

"Well, it'd be a pincer movement," said Pete. "But, okay."

Pete began walking towards the area of the casino that housed the slots. Here you would find a lot of the older gamblers or the tired ones. Why stand at a craps table when you could sit in front of a machine and throw your money away in comfort? Taking up a radio he was given by Officer DiGuardi, Pete contacted her in the main office.

"Has our man moved?" asked Pete.

"No," came the reply. "He's still sitting there."

Pete then spoke to Myka. "Did you copy that, Agent Bering?"

"Roger Agent Lattimer," replied Myka.

Pete and Myka made their way slowly through the crowd, edging closer and closer to their target. Suddenly a loud crash sounded off from two rows of slot machines over and smoke curled up from the scene of the incident.

"Fire!" someone shouted.

"What the...?" said Pete to himself.

"We have a small fire," aid Sara over the radio. "Some tourist was collecting some money he dropped and ran right into a cart with cherry flambé."

Pete sighed and shook his head before he got back on the radio. "What is the status on the target?"

"Stand by," came Sara's voice. "Oh no..."

"What?" said Pete urgently. 'What's wrong?"

"He's GONE!"

"What?" Pete shouted. "Check the feeds!"

"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed Myka.

"He got up when the cart crashed and then...damn it!" said Sara. "We lost him in the crowd that gathered. Still checking cameras!"

"Damn!" shouted Pete as he pounded his fist against one of the slot machines.

The operator, a seventy-year-old woman, glared at him for a moment. Suddenly the machine lit up like a Christmas tree and tones sounded off.

"I won!" she shouted. "I won! Thank you!"

Pete watched as the old woman collected her winnings in a cup and went about working the machine again. Pete walked back towards the main security office.

Myka was already headed back in the direction of the main security office. She couldn't believe their luck, their first lucky break and the guy split, slipping right through their fingers. Hopefully the cameras had managed to capture something.

She met up with Pete just outside the doors to the main security office, "Slippery one isn't he?" she remarked her tone irritated as he pulled open the doors.

"Yup."

"Hopefully we caught him on camera before the fire broke out," she replied as she followed him back to the room where Sara was waiting.

"Officer DiGuardi, did the cameras catch anything before the fire?" asked Myka as she and Pete stopped in front of the video feeds. Sara only sighed as she turned towards the controls.

"We got something, but it's not very much, see for yourselves," pressing a button Sara played back footage from one of the cameras where the man had been playing slots earlier. Zooming in she focused on the man, but it was of little use. From behind her Pete swore aloud as Myka muttered something under her breath.

"The most bland looking tourist imaginable," said Pete.

Sure enough, there on the cameras sat a man at the slots dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a white dress shirt, a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes concealed by a black ball cap emblazoned with the words "Atlantic City".

Pete shook his head. He was right there and he had put the dodge on them. Six people ready to pounce and some knucklehead gambler trips up a food cart with burning cherries, allowing the target to escape. You just could not make this stuff up. Pete facepalmed for a moment as he collected his thoughts.

"He's probably done for the night," said Pete. "But I'll go cruise some of the other casinos and see. Thank you Officer DiGuardi."

"Call me Sara," she said. "It's easier."

"I'm Pete," he responded, handing her back her radio. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime, Pete," she said, a warm smile on her face.

Myka turned away, feeling a slight pang in her heart at the exchange between Sara and Pete. Even a blind man could see that the female security officer was clearly interested in Pete; and she half suspected that the feeling was likely mutual. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and steeled her nerves before she breezed out of the security office. Her _partner_ could take care of the rest as far she was concerned, she was done here.

Pete, his mind elsewhere, left the office and headed for the exit to the Brass Gong. He was not a fan of these circumstances. They almost had him. What on earth had gone wrong? It was too fantastic. Too...lucky.

"Crap...," muttered Pete, slapping his forehead as he hit the sidewalk outside the casino.

"Been there, pal," said a passerby.

Pete looked confused for a moment and then shook it off. He sent a quick text about his theory to Myka and then went about surfing another casino to see if their man had shifted places or if he had given up the ghost for the evening.


	7. Chapter 7

Some hours later, Myka found herself on the floor of the hotel casino across the street, sitting at the bar, a half finished virgin margarita rested nearby on the counter. Her notepad rested on the bar's countertop, her pen in her hand as she stared down at a blank page. She wasn't sure why but coming back here seemed like her next best bet, who knows maybe she'd get lucky and their mystery man would resurface, or at the very least it'd allow her a moment to reflect.

Glancing up she cast a glance around the floor of the casino as she sipped on her drink. Hotel security reported nothing new, and given the vague description of the artifact's holder, it was likely the man could be anyone on the casino's floors. Still they told her they'd keep their eyes open for suspicious activity, and for right now all she could do was sit back, and quietly observe.

A young couple, the newlyweds she had spotted on the elevator the same day she and Pete had arrived walked past her, their arms linked around each other's waist, smiling and laughing happily. Christ, what was she doing here? Did she really think the suspect would resurface so soon? Turning back towards the bar she ordered another drink.

"Same as before miss?" asked the bartender.

"No, give me a regular margarita this time, extra salt, and don't skimp on the liquor."

The bartender only shrugged as he retrieved a fresh glass, "You got it."

Turning back towards the floor, Myka sighed sadly, and straightened the hem of her dress. Cassidy said she thought the dress looked stunning on her, that any man would be foolish not to think otherwise. Pete seemed to barely take notice, like he hardly cared. There was a time he had once called her stunningly beautiful, and now? It seemed to matter little to her anymore. Why should it? She clearly wasn't his girl, and likely wouldn't be again anytime soon, that bridge had long since burned, and crashed into the sea. She wondered if he even cared for her anymore, or considered her a friend, let alone his partner.

Shifting, she turned back towards the bar and retrieved her drink, all but knocking it back in one fell swoop.

Pete sat down on a chair inside the security room of the Blue Mermaid. He had spent an hour each at three separate casinos around the area. He had walked the floor and studied the camera feeds in each establishment, the latter so he could cover ground more quickly and quietly.

The jogging between each casino and the fruitless searching once he got there had left Pete tired and angry. They had their needle in a haystack and then he slipped right out of their grasp. The only consolation he had was that the man was sure to try again. Such was the nature of their quarry.

After another crappy cup of coffee, Pete stood up from the chair and rubbed his eyes.

"Long day, huh?" asked one of the guards.

"You can say that again," said Pete. "I'm going to clock out for the night. Call me if you get anything."

"Right."

As Pete walked away from the security office and headed for the casino exit, he was thankful for at least one thing. They had gotten more than a few snapshots of their man. At the very least they had a basic description. Very basic, but every little bit helped.

Pushing open the doors of the casino, Pete walked out onto the sidewalk and started heading back towards the hotel. It was a quarter past midnight and he felt like his candle had been burnt very much at both ends. Not surprisingly, there was still a crowd out at this time and Pete faced a long walk back.

Myka leaned on the bar's countertop as she sipped her drink, her notepad rested nearby, pen sitting atop it, both items now seemingly abandoned. A man had taken the empty stool near her, apparently having just as bad a night as her, if not worse. She remembered having spotted him earlier; dark hair, dark eyes, very handsome in a rugged sort of way. He was also staying at the hotel, in town on business.

She didn't discuss the case, at least not in detail. By the time the mysterious stranger had sat down next to her she was on margarita number three, which turned to four, then five. It mattered little to her, she could hold her liquor, and she could handle herself, and Pete certainly seemed to think as much.

Lazily, she traced the salt from the rim of her glass, casting a glance in her companion's direction, "The thing is, my partner, I don't understand him," licking the salt from her finger she shook her head. "I tried apologizing, but even that doesn't seem to be good enough, it's like he hardly cares, like he wants nothing to do with me."

"Who was it that ended the relationship? You or your partner, Paul?" replied her companion, Vincent, as he took a sip from his own drink, his hand coming to rest lightly atop her knee.

"Pete," Myka corrected him, she shook her head, "No, no I mean, I suppose you could say I ended the relationship," she remarked as she turned towards the bar, her tone sorrowful, "Threw it all away," the effects of the alcohol only ramped up her emotions, making the memories that much more painful for her.

"My career, my best friend, my lover, everything," she looked up briefly casting a glance his way.

"Office relationships never work out, people start coming between other people," replied Vincent, his hand drifting along her thigh, and Myka nodded, "You could say it was another woman that made me leave," Vincent only nodded in understanding, "Left you for her did he?"

Myka shook her head sadly, a wry smile on her features, "It's far more complicated than that, much more complicated…now it seems like he wants nothing more to do with me, let alone call me his friend…," Myka turned towards the bar and sipped her drink, "…or anything more than that, ever again."

Pete walked into the hotel lobby, his face feeling like chalk. His suit smelled of sweat and cigar smoke and he was tired as hell. He started for the bank of elevators to go up to the room when he shot a glance towards the casino area of the hotel. He froze dead in his tracks for just an instant and then he felt a rush of primal energy as his anger rose like hungry flames from a new fire. He turned and walked right into the casino.

"MYKA!" he shouted.

Myka glanced up briefly at hearing her voice being called out, "Oh, it's the guy who refuses to acknowledge I exist, what's wrong did Sara get tired of you too?" Huffing, she turned back towards the bar, "I can't blame her if she did," she remarked icily.

Pete let her comments bounce off of him. He was far too angry already.

"Let's go upstairs, Myka," said Pete. "I think you've had enough already."

"Unlike you, I can still hold my liquor," she replied acidly, "Besides I wasn't aware you even gave a damn, let alone act like I exist!" she remarked shoving him away before she turned back to the bar.

Pete's anger topped out into the red and it took him a few seconds before he could speak again.

"I know you didn't...mean that, Myka," said Pete. "Now...come on."

"Hey wise guy, leave the lady alone," interjected Vinny as he glanced Pete's way, "Typical grunt, don't know their own ass from a hole in the ground," he remarked as he turned back towards the bar, before he turned his attention back to Myka, and grasped hold of her hand, and leaned closer to whisper something in her ear.

Pete stiff-armed the guy back, away from Myka.

"You keep your mouth shut and out of our business, pal," said Pete, his voice menacing, something Myka had not heard before. "Myka..."

Myka only looked away, her expression tormented, and hurt, intermixed with shades of anger.

Vincent pushed Pete back, "Hey, get your own woman; clearly this one doesn't want anything more to do with you."

I said...," growled Pete before he pulled the guy into a right cross, sending him to the floor. "Mind your own business!"

Myka stood up, shoving him, "Pete what the Hell!"

"How far were you going to let him put his hand up your dress?" shouted Pete, grabbing her arm. "We're going upstairs, now!"

Pete headed for the lobby, dragging Myka along towards the elevators.

Myka practically stumbled as she glared at Pete; now that she was on her feet she could feel the buzz taking its toll on the rest of her body. Begrudgingly she held onto the back of Pete's jacket for support as he dragged her into the first available elevator.

Pete hit the call button for the elevator and the doors opened immediately. Pete dragged Myka inside and hit the button for their floor. The doors closed a moment later and they moved up three floors before Pete spoke again.

"You are unbelievable...," said Pete, his tone harsh.

"I could handle myself just fine, you know that," interjected Myka, her head pounding.

"Oh, clearly!" Pete shouted. "Apparently HE could HANDLE you too!"

"Maybe I'd have been better off spending the night with him, than a Grade-A jackass!" She shouted back.

"No, I think you got yourself a two-fer on that one," Pete responded, his sarcasm evident.

Myka slapped Pete across the face hard, stumbling as she did. "To think there was a time I found your wiseass antics amusing, charming even," she replied, her tone sarcastic. "I don't know what I was thinking, I should have stayed in Colorado, clearly you wouldn't have missed me."

Pete pushed her back away from him, hard but at the same time with a gentle way so she did not slam into the wall of the elevator car.

"You're the one who left ME, Myka," said Pete, his tone like a sawblade. "Now I see it's becoming a habit!"

Myka turned away, tears welling up in her eyes, "Pete, that's not…" shaking she choked back a sob, her body trembling, both from a combination of alcohol and emotions.

"Not WHAT?" Pete shouted, his hand hitting the stop button for the elevator. "Huh, Myka? Not what?"

Myka turned back towards Pete, not caring if he saw her cry anymore, or that her makeup had started to likely run, "I left, I left because…," sniffling she steeled her nerves, though it did little to stop her from shaking, "…I failed everyone, the Warehouse, Artie, I failed you. You didn't deserve me, not as your partner, and I didn't deserve you, not as my partner or my lover. You deserved better than me."

"I failed myself," she whispered, barely audible to her own ears, "Helena betrayed me, she used me, and I was too blind to see it, and you wouldn't admit it to me."

"You should have talked to me, Myka," said Pete. "Why didn't you talk to me? You just left, making the decision that I was not good enough to help you through that. You leave and then you blithely return and impress the Regents and think it's all okay again."

Pete started the car again and shook his head.

"Like I said, unbelievable."

"You make it all sound so easy," she replied as she shook her head, "It wasn't, not for me, none of it was..." she spoke quietly, her heart felt like it was on the verge of breaking as she recalled the case when his memories began to slip away, his psyche...

Leaning against the elevator wall, she closed her eyes as she held a hand to her head, wishing as though she could just quietly disappear, melt away.

"I don't know what more I can say to make this right..." she whispered.

"I just know I miss my partner...my friend..."

"Clearly," said Pete as the tone sounded, indicating they were on their floor and covering Myka's last comment. The doors opened abruptly. "Last time, you just left. That is easy. Doesn't require you to say a damn thing."

Myka moved to step past Pete, wanting nothing more than to be out of the elevator, the space suddenly feeling smaller. She tripped, all but taking a nosedive towards the floor. Pete caught her on instinct and she grasped hold of the lapels of his jacket for support. Unable to hold her tears back any longer she collapsed against him and shook, sobbing.

What more could she do, could she say to make him see that she wanted to prove him wrong? That she desperately wanted a second chance to prove her worth, to prove how much she needed him as her partner. It was bad enough when she had lost Sam, when she had seen what her leaving had done to Pete it was twice as bad, if not worse.

Pete, surprisingly, held Myka gently in his arms as they stood in the hallway. He did not know exactly what to say at this moment, so he said nothing.

"I-I'm s-sorry, so sorry," Myka mumbled through her tears, "I…"

"Let it go, Myka," said Pete, his voice quiet and gentle now. "I was a Grade-A jackass for treating you like I did. I got angry and didn't see what you were going through."

Myka hugged Pete tight, nodding meekly, "Take me back to the room, I've made a big enough fool of myself tonight already, I just wanna get some sleep."

"Okay," said Pete. "Come on."

Pete aided Myka in walking to their room and then opened the door. He picked her up at the threshold and carried her to the bedroom, setting her on the bed.

"Sleep it off," said Pete. "I will see you in the morning."

Myka gently grasped hold of Pete's hand as he moved to exit the room, "Don't go, please."

"What's up?"

Blushing, Myka bowed her head, "I…I…," swallowing a lump in her throat she lifted her head up; even in the half-light his dark brown eyes seemed to radiate with a gentle warmth. She desperately wanted to ask him to stay, wrap her up in his arms, and hold her close as she fell asleep. She reminded herself that things were different between them, that she was no longer his. Even now she wondered how he felt about her, if his feelings still ran as deep.

"Myka?" asked Pete, tilting his head to one side.

"Wait for me, tomorrow?" she whispered softly as she gazed into his eyes, her dark green eyes clouded over with unshed tears.

Pete looked away for a moment, the glitter of a nearby building just slipping through the room's curtains. In the quiet stillness of the room, he could make out the sounds of traffic below, but just barely.

His thoughts ran to the rough nights they had probably both spent since they arrived in Atlantic City. He cared for her, but he was not sure how she felt about him. She had left without a word before and he had never quite forgiven her for that. He wanted to take her into his arms, hold her, kiss her, feel her body against his own. He wanted this, badly, but he just could not do it. He did not know if he could trust her again as he had before. The situation was different.

Exhaling slowly, Pete looked down at the floor for a few moments and then back to Myka. He could still smell the alcohol from here. He wondered how much of her was talking and how much was the booze. Even still, he felt he carried the burden of her state. Their current relationship had obviously taken a toll on her to get her to drink that heavily. Maybe it was time for him to take at least a small step towards building a bridge.

A small one.

"Ok Myka," said Pete.

Turning away from her, Pete walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He then made his way to the bed he had made on the floor since the two chairs had proven to be uncomfortable. Things were bad enough without the chairs slipping apart in the middle of the night and dropping him on the floor.

Lying down, Pete stared up at the ceiling, thoughts drifting about in his brain until he fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The moon spilled out from behind a cloud and the moment the light spilled across her face, she darted out of bed, bee lining straight for the bathroom. Flushing the toilet, Myka laid her head against her forearms for support, her head pounding like a war drum. Lifting her head up she slowly leaned back against the bathtub, the cool ceramic felt heavenly against her skin. Shakily she grasped the edge of the bathtub and stood up slowly, the room spun and she found herself retching once again, spilling out the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"You okay?" came a voice from behind her. Pete took Myka's hair in his hands and held it out of the way for her.

Sitting up slowly, she cast a glance Pete's way as she flushed the toilet, "I'm okay, just my head, and my stomach, and everything else," tiredly she fell back against the bathtub, her entire body felt as though it was in tatters.

"You're still in your dress."

"Too tired to change, I slept on top of the blankets last night," she replied wearily. "If it all." Closing her eyes she shook her head with a wry, humorless laugh. "I'm such a mess, look at me!" Letting her head fall against her knees her laughter turned to tears. "Once the Regents hear of this, th-they'll—"

"They'll what?" asked Pete. "What's the big deal?"

Shaking her head, Myka wiped away her tears using the back of her hand, "I proved to them, I proved to them that I could be a competent agent," she whispered quietly. "Now look at me, some agent I make."

"We all have our moments, Myka," said Pete quietly.

He, perhaps, knew that better than anybody. Pete sat on the bathroom floor next to Myka and softly rubbed her back. She looked tired and spent. He had seen that face many times in the mirror when he was still seeing the neon rain. A lot of times he did not have anyone to help him pick up the pieces though.

Reflexively, Myka leaned into Pete for support as she shifted positions, her head coming to rest lightly against his chest. The two sat quietly like that for a long moment, neither saying anything, merely silently acknowledging the other's presence.

"What time is it?" asked Myka quietly.

"It's about a quarter after four in the morning," said Pete.

Taking a clean washcloth off a nearby shelf, Pete turned on the cold water from the tub faucet and soaked the cloth. He then wrung it out and handed it to Myka.

"Come on, Myka," said Pete. "Try and get some more rest. I'll see about breakfast tomorrow. I know a few hangover cures we can try."

"I'm not sure I even want to think about food right now," mumbled Myka, her stomach rolling at the mere thought.

"At least you have the virtue of learning from my mistakes."

Pete helped Myka to bed and put the cold washcloth over her eyes. He then returned to the bathroom and grabbed the empty garbage can, placing it by Myka's bed. At least now she would not have to jump up and run.

Turning, Pete headed for the door of the bedroom.

"Pete?" called out Myka, her voice a low hoarse whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Taking care of me."

"Get some rest Myka," said Pete before he closed the door after him.

Burrowing into the bed, she pulled the blankets closely around her form, wrapping herself in a protective cocoon. She'd likely need to have her dress dry-cleaned but right now she didn't care, all she wanted to do was sleep. She heard the shower sputter to life, briefly, the sound growing fainter and fainter as sleep slowly pulled her into its comforting embrace.

Pete had returned to the bathroom and had started the shower. He felt that he needed one, particularly after running around in the casinos all night. His skin smelled of smoke, stale air-conditioned air and an odd mix of sugary, booze-infused sweat. Not a particularly enticing scent.

After he had showered, Pete felt one hundred percent better. After drying off, he got dressed to get back into bed for a couple of hours. Exiting the bathroom, Pete stopped by Myka's bed to check on her. She was twisted up in the blankets, so Pete straightened them out for her. He shook his head slightly as he brushed a strand of hair from Myka's eyes. Patting her shoulder, Pete turned and left the bedroom.

Myka smiled dreamily as a hand lightly touched her face, then that same hand very gently brushed across her shoulders, and she snuggled into her blankets, strong, warm arms held her close as sleep consumed her.

Pete awoke at six in the morning and opened the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. The brisk rush of fresh air was inviting and he did not even mind the early-morning sounds of life stirring in the city below.

He started off his morning with a bottle of water and some early morning exercises including push-ups and sit-ups. At seven, Pete got up and went in to check on Myka. She was still alive and breathing, sleeping soundly and with a quiet smile on her face. Pete did not disturb her just yet.

Returning to the living room, Pete rolled up his bed for the day and put it away in a closet. Picking up the phone, he ordered room service. A stack of chocolate chip pancakes, a western omelet, pumpkin bread, coffee and orange juice for him. For Myka he ordered coffee, orange juice, multi-grain toast, eggs Benedict, bacon and a banana milkshake with honey.

After hanging up the phone, Pete walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed next to Myka. He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek before moving his hand to her shoulder and gently coaxing her awake.

"Myka," said Pete softly. "Myka, time to get up."

Myka opened her eyes groggily, her lips felt dry, but thankfully her stomach felt better, if exceedingly empty, "Pete? What time is it?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Take it easy," said Pete, a hand on her shoulder. "You need to take it easy for a while. I ordered breakfast. Go shower and get ready."

"You ordered breakfast?" she replied as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I did," said Pete, his hands slowly rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "I said I would take care of you, right?"

Myka smiled shyly, "You did," leaning into his arms Myka wrapped her arms around him, letting her head come to rest lightly on his shoulder. "Thank you, Pete."

"I always will," said Pete in a whisper, mainly to himself.

He leaned his head on hers and softly stroked her hair for a moment.

"Ok, time to get ready," said Pete. "We still have us an artifact abuser to find."

Myka nodded, "Ok," she whispered softly. Turning her head slightly, Myka pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before she pulled away and stood up. "I'll go get cleaned up."

Pete watched Myka as she got up and walked to the bathroom, still wearing that dress from last night. He shook his head. Even after a rough night, she still looked fine in that dress. When she closed the bathroom door, Pete walked back out to the living room to wait for room service.

Myka showered quickly, the hot steam rejuvenated her, reviving her after the long night she had had previously. Once she had finished with her shower she pulled on a large, fluffy bathrobe and dried her hair off, quietly musing over what Pete had said earlier. Had she imagined it, but he said he would always look after her? The thought warmed her heart; Pete had shown a softer, more caring side to her, it was a side of him she had missed.

Walking back into the bedroom, she grabbed a clean change of clothes and dressed, pulling on a pair of casual khaki shorts the color of a light tan, and a white short-sleeved blouse. She stepped out into the living room, a brush in one hand, a scrunchy in the other. She smiled slightly as she spied Pete standing out on the balcony, and she approached him.

"So, what are we having?" she questioned him as she stopped next to him.

Pete turned around, seeing her all cleaned up. It was as if the night before had not happened. He smiled slightly at her before he ran down what he had ordered.

"Eggs Benedict? That's really rich," remarked Myka as she brushed out her hair. She fidgeted a little with the brush as she worked, she had been straightening her hair out after she washed it out, but she hadn't bothered with it all today, not seeing very much point. Turning around, she held out the scrunchy.

"You mind?"

"Not at all," said Pete.

Pete took the scrunchy and helped Myka secure her ponytail. He rested his hands on her hips as he checked it. He did miss what they had, but he did not know if it was possible anymore. She had just left without a word. Did she just consider him a fling? A 'jock boyfriend' or something. Pete stepped away and walked to the kitchen, getting a bottle of water.

Myka watched as Pete retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. Involuntarily she licked her lips as she watched him uncap the bottle of water before taking a swig, her eyes lingering on his hands, the same hands that had just rested on her hips earlier. Conflicting emotions or not, it was hard to forget a lover's touch. Blushing, she cleared her throat as she sensed Pete glancing her way.

"You want a water?" he asked.

"Please?" replied Myka.

Pete opened the fridge and got a water for Myka, handing it to her.

"Take it easy at first," said Pete. "Don't down it like you're shotgunning a beer."

Nodding, Myka unscrewed the cap from her bottle of water and took a long, slow swig. She paused as Pete glanced her way, "Sorry, just thirsty."

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door followed by a voice. "Room service!"

"Excellent," said Pete as he walked to the door. He opened it and let the man with the cart inside.

"For the honeymoon couple," the waiter said. "Bon appetite."

"Thanks," Pete replied without missing a beat. He slipped the waiter a twenty and closed the door after him. "Shall we, my love?"

Myka froze in her steps, not sure if she had heard Pete right, "What did you say?"

Pete was very jesting in his nature, though right now the offhanded remark only served to confuse her.

"The guy said 'honeymoon' couple," said Pete, also not missing a beat. "Get it?"

He inwardly sighed. He had let that slip by accident. Hopefully he dodged the bullet and she would laugh it off as well.

Managing a slight smile, she lightly touched his arm, "Come my dear; let's eat before breakfast goes cold." She replied, deciding to humor him.

Pete pulled a chair out for her from the table and then spoke in a Shakespearian accent.

"Lady Ophelia."

Grasping hold of his hand, Myka sat down, "Sir Knight."

Pete then placed Myka's dishes on the table in front of her, the last of which was the banana milkshake.

"Enjoy."

Taking the cover off of her plate, Myka felt her stomach rumble at the sight of her meal. It had been quite some time since she had last had Eggs Benedict, and with good reason; it was a very, _very_ rich dish. Still, right now it smelled heavenly to her, and frankly she was starving. Turning towards Pete she smiled as he handed her a folded white cloth napkin.

As Myka reached to take the napkin, Pete absently, instinctually, kissed her hand.

"Pete…?" Myka questioned him softly, her features reddening.

Pete had moved to take up his dishes and set them on the table when he paused, realizing what he had done. He was just beginning to silently curse himself when Myka spoke his name. There was no dodging this bullet. Turning to look at her, Myka had a sad, confused and almost upset look in her eyes. Her voice so delicate, on the verge of madness. It was all or nothing.

"Myka...," said Pete.

"I-I'm sorry…I..."

Pete turned away, looking at his food, unable to finish his sentence.

Myka brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she looked down at her plate, she wondered absently for some time if there had been someone else in Pete's life, though now she was skeptical. His actions only served to confuse her, she had always known him to be a natural flirt, even before they had started dating he had hit on her often.

"Pete," she started slowly, "Where are we, where do we stand?" she spoke quietly.

There was silence for some time and then Pete spoke, just barely above a whisper.

"I love you, Myka."

Pete cursed himself inwardly. Why had he done that? Said that? Idiot. She wasn't into him. He was just a fling. Too many times under fire and they had just fallen into each other. It wasn't anything real.

Myka felt faint, not certain as to what to say.

She whispered quietly in reply, her voice barely audible to her own ears, "I always will."

"Will you?" said Pete, turning more towards her.

Her lips. He had read them, if purely by accident.

"How do you feel about me, Myka?" asked Pete. "The man you left without even saying a word."

Myka gave a nervous half laugh; she had forgotten he could read lips.

Turning towards him, she softly touched his cheek, "I love you, I always will, but…," ducking her head she bit her lip. "I don't know if we can ever have what we had before, especially after what I did, leaving you like I did. What kind of woman you must think me." She remarked with a shake of her head.

"You love me?" asked Pete. "Truly?"

"I never stopped loving you," she replied, her thumb absently stroking the side of his face as she looked up into his eyes. "Not once."

"Then why did you leave without a word?" asked Pete quietly.

"It was too unbearable, I felt ashamed, that I had failed you," she replied looking away, her heart clenching in pain. "Like I didn't deserve you, I wonder now if I still do, especially after last night."

"Myka...," said Pete slowly.

Putting his hands around Myka's upper arms he pulled her up so she stood in front of him. Putting his arms around her waist, Pete kissed her deeply, passionate, holding her close.

Pete's actions caught her off guard, if but briefly. Myka wound her arms tightly around Pete as she returned his kiss hungrily, his hands softly caressing her sides as he held her close.

For several moments the two were closer together than they had ever been. At length they separated, if only to catch their breath.

"I have missed you."

Myka nodded feebly, clearly breathless, "So have I." she remarked as she kissed him again softly.

Pete returned her kiss, his hands very softly massaging the small of her back.

After several moments, Myka finally pulled away, and she lazily nuzzled Pete's nose, "Pete," she remarked breathily as he softly trailed kisses along her neck, "I hate to break the moment, but I think our breakfast is getting cold."

"Not being near us," said Pete. "It couldn't possibly have gotten cold."

Myka giggled as he dotted her collarbone with kisses, and she cupped his face in her hands, her eyes meeting his, "My dear knight, thy lady is starving, and not merely for thy affections."

"Then let us feast," said Pete. "For milady will require her strength."

The two pulled away from each other, not before sharing one more kiss, and then finally sat down to breakfast. Myka unfolded her white cloth napkin and hungrily dug into her food, thankfully it was still quite warm. She blushed as she looked up and spied Pete glancing her way. "I didn't eat at all last night, if not much of anything." She replied sheepishly.

"It's fine," said Pete, smiling.

He then turned to his food.

Taking a sip of her milkshake, Myka found it to not be that altogether unpleasant, it reminded her of a much, thicker smoothie after a fashion. Setting down her milkshake, she turned back to her breakfast, careful not to eat too quickly, she didn't want to risk upsetting her stomach even as hungry as she was.

"I'm going to need to see if I can get the dress dry-cleaned, though I doubt it can be salvaged, that sleaze spilled his drink on me after you punched him out last night. I didn't notice it until later." Sighing, she continued to eat her breakfast. "I'm so sorry about last night, Pete."

"Me too," said Pete.

"You should know that since you, I haven't been with anyone else," she replied quietly as she set down her fork and reached across the table to grasp his hand in hers. "I mean that."

Pete stopped eating for a moment. He had not even thought of that.

"Me either," he replied.

Myka smiled slightly, her thumb lightly caressed the back of his hand as she held his gaze, not saying anything.

Pete speared a piece of Myka's Eggs Benedict and fed her.

Myka smiled as she ate her food, and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and softly kissed his cheek as he lowered his fork, "Alright, alright, I'll eat." She chuckled as she turned her attention back to her breakfast.

The pair finished their breakfast and then placed the dishes on the cart, covering them with their lids. Pete wheeled the cart to the door and placed it outside in the hallway. Closing the door, he turned back to face Myka.

"Thanks for staying for breakfast with me, Pete." Remarked Myka as she softly stroked his cheek.

Wrapping her arms around his waist she lightly rested her head against his chest. "I missed this, I missed us." she whispered quietly.

"I'm just sorry that things got like that between us," said Pete. "Maybe we will have more luck now that we are working together. We sure did not have any luck the other way."

Lifting her head up, Myka stared into his eyes, "Remember what I told Artie before we left? I'm your partner, I go where you go."

"I would have no one else by my side," said Pete.

He knew they would always be together. He had felt it when they first entered the Warehouse. Whatever happened to one would happen to both because he would always be at her side.

"So, what do you say we bag us an artifact?"

Grasping his hands in hers she smiled at him, "Partner."

"I'm down if you are," said Pete.

"Then let's review our notes," replied Myka.

Kissing him softly, Myka turned around and walked towards the direction of the bedroom to retrieve her laptop, Pete trailing behind her. She chuckled as she turned around, "Living room, not here, I can't have you getting distracted," She teased.

"Too late."

"Oh for God's sake," Myka replied with a shake of her head, before she turned back towards the bed and smoothed the comforter back and she climbed atop the bed, flipping open the laptop.

"Try and behave yourself," she chided Pete.

"But, of course," said Pete as he sat on the bed next to her. "What do we have?"

"I took the liberty of combining our case notes, try and set up a timeline, a pattern," tapping some keys on the keyboard she gestured at the screen. "Here's what we managed to come up with so far, first visit, nothing really out of the ordinary, minor incidents, yet nothing particularly eye-catching."

"But it looks like it builds a bit as we go...," said Pete quietly as he studied the computer screen.

"Right, his luck increases, he starts going after bigger fish," remarked Myka.

"And we see more of him," said Pete.

"And after last night, he pulled his disappearing act," replied Myka as she pulled back.

"I'm trying to decide if he's going to build his way up from the bottom again, or try hitting it big where he knows he'll blend in, say with high rollers?"

"Well...he hit some big games," said Pete, musing for a moment. "He only moved on to the slots after he thought he was catching attention."

Pete stroked his chin in thought for a moment before he continued.

"As a gambler though, particularly one with luck, I would think he would progress in the vice."

"So you think he's going to set his sights on bigger stakes?" mused Myka.

"That couple in Vegas didn't think twice about upping the stakes, even with the way the chip was siphoning the holder's energy."

"I know a thing about having a vice," said Pete, looking at Myka.

Myka squeezed his hand softly in understanding, "Alright then, the question is where our man would go, I'm more worried about what the artifact will do though, it seems like it carries around an equal amount of good luck and bad luck."

"So as his luck grows, it will be in direct proportion to the bad luck experienced by others?" asked Pete. "Did I just use that phrase 'in direct proportion'? I think you are rubbing off on me."

"That would certainly explain why you held onto my copy of Hamlet for so long," remarked Myka. "Remember what happened when we nearly cornered him and he split? The woman at the slots hit it big, what if the artifact's luck has the potential to backfire?"

"I...uh, I hit the machine," said Pete.

"There goes that theory," replied Myka with a sigh.

"I have a thought," said Pete. "No jokes."

"Shoot."

"If the luck increases...does the negative side increase?" asked Pete. "The greed?"

Myka frowned, "That is a good question."

"Have you spoken to Artie at all lately?"

"No," said Pete. "Why?"

Well, he may know something?" suggested Myka. "I'm worried that this thing may have the potential to take out an entire city block."

"We can call him from the street," said Pete. "We don't have much to tell him, but maybe some symptoms we've seen might help him narrow it down. We still don't know what we're looking for."

"Alright, fine, but what do you suggest we do now?" she gestured to her current outfit as she spoke, "In case you haven't noticed, you and I don't exactly look like high rollers."

"Well, aside from my first thought," said Pete. "We could go to that shop again. Cassidy should know some more places."

"Dare I ask what your first thought was?" replied Myka, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Pete offered her a devilish smile as his hand traced across the soft skin of her stomach. He leaned in close and whispered.

Myka lightly smacked him on the arm, "Rifling through my stuff when I was moved out I see," she whispered. "Next you'll be asking me to blindfold you."

Pete looked as if he was seriously pondering the option.

"Pete! Focus!" she remarked suddenly drawing him out of his trance.

"Yeah, yeah," said Pete, chuckling. "Look, get dressed and we'll go and pick ourselves up some 'high-roller' duds."

Myka glanced down at her outfit, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"Isn't it a little cold out for shorts?"

"You just don't want another man eyeballing me do you?"

"You saw what happened to the last guy...," Pete noted.

"Dress shopping should prove fun later," she mused as she stood up to retrieve a pair of long, black slacks from her dresser.

Pete chuckled.

"I'm glad I met you, Myka," said Pete as he left the room so she could get dressed.

"So am I," she remarked with a smile as she changed.


	9. Chapter 9

A short while later, the pair exited from the hotel, Myka taking care to take the dress with her. She hoped that the dress could be salvaged if it all possible. She also hoped that Cassidy would understand, more so considering the circumstances surrounding last night. Pete and Myka piled into the back of a cab, preparing for the long ride into the city, it was early morning still and that meant facing early morning commute.

Leaning her head lightly against Pete's shoulder, she gently grasped his hand in hers, a physical reassurance that he was here with her.

"You wanna call Artie then?" she whispered quietly.

"Sure," said Pete as he brought out the Farnsworth.

"Pete," said Artie as his face appeared on the screen. "How goes the hunt?"

"It's ongoing," remarked Myka. "Did you get the email I sent you with our case notes?"

"I did," said Artie with a nod as he looked away towards his computer. "This might help narrow things down. You would be surprised how many artifacts deal with luck. Good luck agents, stay safe."

Pete flipped the Farnsworth shut, and placed it back inside his jacket's inner pocket, "Think he got a call from Claudia and Jinks?" asked Myka.

"Maybe," said Pete. 'Why?"

"It was a brief exchange," observed Myka.

"The whole schedule of the Warehouse has been a little hectic lately," said Pete. "New guy. You coming back. H.G. being involved doesn't help my nerves, I know that. It'll get better."

Nodding in agreement, she snuggled up to Pete and closed her eyes, linking her arm through his.

"You okay?"

"I just feel so full from that big breakfast, I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a few minutes," yawning tiredly she nuzzled his shoulder lightly. She smiled dreamily as she felt Pete softly trace his fingers through her hair. Within moments she fell into a light doze, comforted by his presence.

The cab ride was a little on the long side. Pete did not mind though and neither did Myka. It gave her a chance to catch up on some of the sleep she missed the previous night. At least his breakfast order helped bring her back around. He kissed her softly on the temple as she dozed, causing her to smile sleepily.

At length they reached their destination and Pete paid the driver. Reaching out slightly, Pete gently caressed Myka's face.

"Myka," he said softly. "We're here."

"Where are we?" asked Myka as she awoke slowly.

"At the place Cassidy works."

"Oh, right," she replied as Pete climbed out of the cab. She grabbed her belongings and smiled as she turned to exit, finding her lover holding out his hand to her.

Grasping hold of his hand, she beamed at Pete as he helped her climb out.

The pair walked the short distance to the clothing boutique, and stepped inside just as another set of customers was exiting from the store. Cassidy smiled warmly as she glanced up from her work, watching as Pete held the door for Myka. The two were noticeably more at ease with one another as opposed to their first visit together. Idly, she wondered what had caused the sudden change.

"Back so soon?" she remarked as she stepped around the counter. "The rate you two keep coming back I may have to set up credit lines for you both," she teased. "What brings you back?"

"We need to move our game up a bit," said Pete. "We need to look like a couple of high-rollers."

"High-rollers?" she replied as she raised an eyebrow. "So, now you wanna go James Bond, or more George Clooney?"

"I was thinking maybe Sinatra," chuckled Pete, using the Ocean's 13 line for a joke. "Can you help us?"

Cassidy beamed, "Sure I can! Your partner too?" she remarked as she glanced over at Myka.

Myka smiled shyly, "Nothing too extravagant, though I think something a little bit nicer than the dress I wore last night," Clearing her throat she stepped towards Cassidy, and pulled the blue dress she had purchased the other night out of the bag. "Regrettably, I'm not quite certain you can still salvage it."

Cassidy gasped as she looked over the dress, before she looked back at Myka. "Nothing a little club soda can't fix, though I'm not sure, I'll need to give it a closer look."

Myka bit her lip nervously and Cassidy glanced over at Pete, his eyes focused on Myka, his gaze soft and compassionate. She didn't need to ask about the previous night, their expressions conveyed as much to her what had likely transpired. Turning back towards Myka she gently patted her arm in reassurance.

"Don't worry about the dress, I've seen worse than this." She remarked softly, "Now, what do you say we try and find you something sharp?"

"I'm not sure where to even start," replied Myka. Smiling, Cassidy placed the dress back in the bag before she placed it on the counter and she turned back towards Myka.

"That's where I come in, but first…" Turning around she walked ahead of the pair indicating they should follow her. She led both over to the area where the suits where located and she extracted a sleek, black suit. Smiling proudly she turned back towards Pete,

"Now this is a suit I think would look really great on you. It's more James Bond this suit, but I think you could pull it off, don't you agree?"

"Naturally," said Pete in his Connery accent.

Myka smiled, "I don't see why not, what else do you have?"

Cassidy handed the suit to Pete, and Cassidy pulled out another suit, "This is a little more Brad Pitt

it's a light gray, but as equally eye-catching as the black. You can try on both suits see which one you like the best, though I think you'll find both to be excellent choices."

'What do you think, Mykes?"

Myka laughed, "You're asking me?"

"Why not?" asked Pete. "We're doing this together. No reason we should totally crush everyone else there with our good looks."

Myka looked over both suits closely before she turned her attention back to Pete, "The black."

"The black."

"The black then," replied Cassidy in agreement as she hung up the gray suit. "I should have no problem getting it fitted for you, I still have the specs from the last time you shopped here." she replied before she turned her attention back towards Myka, "You my dear are another story, come along."

Myka blushed as Cassidy turned her around, from behind her she could hear Pete chuckling softly.

"You too, Double-Oh-Seven," Cassidy called out over her shoulder. "The lady may need help."

An armful of dresses later, Myka found herself in a dressing room trying on evening gowns. Pete waited patiently outside, resting on a small sofa.

Cassidy exited a few moments later, a handful of dresses in her arms. "We've narrowed it down to two dresses…though I'm not sure she's overly fond of the one dress…I think she looks gorgeous in it."

"So, let's see it."

"Like I said, I'm not sure she's particularly fond of it," Cassidy shrugged. "I don't know why not, I've known showgirls who'd maim a man to look that good in that dress…" she whispered. Glancing over her shoulder, she nodded at Pete. "Why don't you go offer up your opinion?"

Pete shrugged as he stood and then walked over to the changing room. He knocked softly before he entered.

"Myka?"

Myka instinctively covered herself up as Pete stepped into the dressing room. Near immediately he could see why she wasn't very fond of the dress; the top wrapped around her front, leaving one side exposed and the rest of her back completely bare save for a strap that went over the middle of her back and over one shoulder, attached to the strap was a long, wrap made of a lighter, almost sheer material. The front of the dress was cut at mid-thigh and done in a deep indigo; the skirt was made of the same light material and seemed to float around her feet. It was a beautiful gown, and it brought to mind the time she had posed as a fashion model in New York.

"Oh...my," said Pete, losing the ability to speak after that.

"It's bad isn't it?" replied Myka.

"No...no," said Pete, shaking his head, his voice a little hoarse. "I was thinking the completely opposite thing."

"Which would be what exactly?" she replied, her voice curious.

"You look...I don't know how to say it," he began. "Several words come to my mind all at once. Stunravidiantgeous..."

Myka blushed, a slight smile coming to her features. She turned towards her reflection, sighing softly as she scrutinized her appearance. Pete naturally thought she looked gorgeous, but could she pull the look off?

Pete rested his hands on Myka hips as he looked at her reflection over her shoulder. He softly kissed her neck and worked his way to her shoulder, before sliding his arms completely around her waist.

"You will blow their minds."

"You really think so?"

"I repeat, stunravidiantgeous."

"Only you would invent such a word."

"Only you could inspire it."

Turning her head slightly, Myka softly kissed Pete.

"Among other things apparently," she whispered quietly as she pulled away.

"Hmm?" asked Pete.

Myka only grinned mysteriously, "Can I show you something? I need another opinion."

"I like the way that sounded," said Pete with a slight chuckle before he quieted himself and cleared his throat. 'Sure."

Myka walked over to a chair where a sheer wrap done in a similar color, albeit slightly darker, to her dress rested. Picking up the wrap, she slung it over her shoulders, "With or without?" she questioned him quietly as she turned around.

"You know," said Pete slowly. "If you walked in with the wrap on and then, just so confidently let it slide away from your shoulders, it would be a Hell of an entrance."

Myka let the wrap fall away from her shoulders slightly as she approached Pete, "You think so?" she replied slowly, green eyes glimmering mischievously.

Pete was unable to speak.

Smirking coyly she pulled the wrap close as she stood in front of him, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes," Pete finally responded. "I think I need some water."

"I'll get changed, I think we have what we need here," replied Myka.

"I'd say so," said Pete, nodding.

He turned and left the changing room so Myka could shed the dress and slip back into her street clothes.

Cassidy reappeared a few moments later, a couple bottles of flavored energy water in each hand. She smiled as she handed one of the bottles to Pete, "Though you'd like something to drink. So, did she finally decide?"

"I think so," Pete replied as he tore into the bottle of water.

"Easy there," chuckled Cassidy. "Has she thought about doing anything with her hair, maybe her nails? These high rollers, the big shots really live to dress to impress." Cassidy cast a glance in the direction of the dressing room, "I don't know why she insisted on leaving her hair so straight earlier."

"You'd have to talk to her about all that chick stuff," said Pete.

"I've seen the way you look at her, don't lie," replied Cassidy with a teasing smile. "I'm sure even you have an opinion on which look you think best suits her."

"She and I have been through a lot," said Pete, looking off in the direction of the changing room before he looked back at Cassidy. "I feel I am lucky to have met her. She is always the most beautiful woman to me."

"She's lucky to have met someone as sweet as you," said Cassidy. "Anyway, I just barely managed to salvage that other dress she brought in, shame she looks so beautiful in blue. Hopefully it's to her liking, slightly modified or not."

The door to the dressing room opened and Myka stepped out, now changed back into her street clothes. The dress folded over one arm. She smiled shyly as she set her eyes on Pete before she turned to Cassidy.

"So are you ready?"

Myka nodded, "I'm ready."

"Me too," said Pete.

"Alright then," smiled Cassidy. "I'll have your items wrapped up shortly; it might be a few minutes though. There's a great place a few doors down if you haven't had lunch yet, they have the best gyros in town."

She suggested.

Myka turned towards Pete, "We still need to talk to Artie, you know…funding…" whispered Myka. "Also, I'm feeling a little famished, as I'm sure you are."

"I actually can pay for this straight out," said Pete quietly.

"You don't have to do that Pete, and also I was talking about the game later," she replied in a soft tone.

"Oh...yeah...that I can't pay for," nodded Pete. "I can't wait to tell Artie about this part of the plan."

Gently grasping Pete's hand in her hand she nuzzled his nose softly, "I'll go on ahead, don't be long."

Fifteen minutes later, Pete joined Myka in the line waiting to order at the gyro place.

"Hey Mykes," he said. "Wow, long line, huh?"

"From what the locals tell me it's always like this," she replied. "Cassidy send our stuff back to the hotel?"

"Yeah," said Pete.

"Now we just need to talk to Artie about the rest of our _plan_," she replied as the line moved up. "I wonder how Claudia and Jinks are fairing." She commented idly. "What did you say Artie has them both hunting down?"

"The original prototype for the Frisbee," Pete replied.

"You're kidding?" said Myka.

"Nope."

"I almost afraid to ask what it does," she replied as they finally stepped up to the window.

"How can I he'p you?" the man at the counter asked.

Myka nodded, "Yeah I'll take one falafel wrap with everything, and a bottle of water." She turned towards Pete.

A steak and onion gyro and a bottle of water," said Pete.

The man nodded at the pair and tapped out the order on his cash register before he turned back to them both, "That'll be nine dollars even."

Pete handed the man a sawbuck.

The man gave Pete back a dollar after he accepted the money. Setting two bottles of water on the counter he jerked his thumb towards another window, "Pick up is at the next window."

"Cool, thanks," said Pete as he slipped the dollar into a nearby tip jar.

The pair made their way over to the aforementioned window and collected their food, along with a handful of napkins. Flagging down an empty table the two sat down to lunch. Myka took an appreciative whiff of her food before she dug in. They had spent far longer in the clothing boutique than she had thought.

"I wonder what Artie will say when he hears of our plan," she remarked as she bit into her falafel.

"Oh...he wasn't the happiest I've seen him..."

"You've spoken to him already?" remarked Myka as she swiped her thumb across her mouth.

"Yeah, while I wrapped up at the clothing shop."

"How bad did he take it?" she cringed, dreading his reply.

Well, there was some yelling," Pete nodded. "Maybe a few choice, colorful metaphors thrown about, but, uh...actually...not too...horribly?"

"That sounds like Artie," replied Myka.

"Yeah...," said Pete as he bit into his sandwich.

Myka took a sip of her water before taking a couple more bites of her falafel.

"So, any way you wanted to play this? We go in there we have to have a game plan," said Myka. "Hotshot honeymooners looking it to make it big?" she suggested with a slight smile.

"We could do that," nodded Pete. "New money honeymooners looking to be irresponsible with our cash. Could open a few doors for us."

"Gullible tourist angle?"

"Excited...more than gullible," said Pete. "We don't want to come on too strong."

"Couple newlyweds looking for hot night on the town?" Myka nodded in agreement. "I can work that angle."

"Oh yeah?" asked Pete.

"Unless you think I'm too hot to handle." she replied teasingly.

"I'm always up for a challenge," Pete replied with a wink.

Myka smiled, her cheeks reddening slightly. Turning her attention to her watch she took note of the time, it was a little after three, going on three thirty. Finishing up her falafel she wiped off her hands and took a swig of her water.

"It'll be four soon, you wanna head back and get ready?"

"No, not yet," said Pete, shaking his head. "The real action doesn't even start until eight at least."

"What did you wanna do until then?" asked Myka, her voice confused.

Pete smiled at her, his eyes having a slightly devious look.

"Pete...seriously," she replied unable to hide her smile.

"I just like it when you blush," said Pete. "You do it so beautifully."

Myka ducked her head shyly, "You're too sweet to me."

"Maybe we should just relax for a few hours in the city," said Pete. 'We can keep our ear to the rail and take a breather. A lot has happened this mission."

Myka looked back in Pete's direction and she reached across the table, gently placing her hand over his, "It has been, hasn't it?"

Pete interlocked his fingers with Myka's and smiled. "Yeah."

"So, what did you have in mind for our little outing?" she replied with a smile.

"We could check out the boardwalk area," said Pete. "See some of the history of the place. I hear there's a memorial for the Korean War here."

"Funny, here I thought you'd suggest we go to the beach." joked Myka.

"Well, since you brought it up...," said Pete, shrugging. "I definitely wouldn't mind seeing you in a bikini."

"I left it back in South Dakota," remarked Myka, not missing a beat.

"I will gladly pick you out a new one and buy it for you."

"You pack anything to wear yourself?"

"I did, actually," said Pete.

"Planning a visit to the spa were we?" teased Myka.

"You know I can't live without my cucumber facial," Pete quipped with a chuckle. "But, seriously. We need to relax a bit before tonight."

"While you wear a bikini?" said Pete. "Sure."

"Depends if you wanna go for a swim," Myka replied with a wink. "I saw them handing out fliers for jazz concerts by the beach, why don't we do that to help us unwind?"

"Sounds good to me," said Pete with a nod as he wrapped up his trash.

Standing, he moved to a trash can and disposed of his empty water bottle and garbage, along with Myka's trash. He walked to the counter and picked up two more water bottles for the road. Returning to the table, Pete smiled at Myka and offered her his arm.

"Shall we then take in the whimsical tones of the local minstrels then, m'lady Ophelia?"

Standing up, Myka linked her arm through Pete's arm. "But of course my noble knight."

Grasping Pete's hand in her hand she leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.

"So seriously does this mean I may need to model bikinis later?" she teased as they strolled down the boardwalk.

"I am not opposed to the idea," said Pete. "We'll see where the day takes us."

The pair casually ambled along the boardwalk taking in the sights and sounds of the city around them. Along the way to the beach the pair stopped and scoped out some of the local shops. What few items were purchased consisted of souvenirs and a couple tins of saltwater taffy; take home prizes for Claudia and Jinksy, Pete called them.

Eventually the pair came across a cozy beachside establishment built up high on a stilted platform that overlooked the beach. If one so chose, they could head down to the lower level of the establishment which led directly to the beach. From within the sounds of jazz playing could be heard.

Myka turned towards Pete with a slight smile, "Shall we?"

"Sure," said Pete.

Pete opened the door for Myka and the pair made their way inside. The interior was rustic in a seafaring way with the tables, chairs and booths made from grayish driftwood looking material. The windows were shaped like portholes, but were slightly larger. Various ocean-based decor such as fishnets, life preservers and realistic sea creatures was mixed with local Atlantic City decor. The overall effect was eclectic but nice.

They were greeted by a hostess and she picked out two menus when she saw them and, after making sure it was just the two of them, walked them to the patio area outside. The jazz band was playing in the far corner, the song an instrumental. Pete and Myka were seated and the hostess set down the menus and removed a pad from her belt.

"What would you all like to drink?" she asked.

"I'll just take a Dr. Pepper," said Pete.

"The same for me," added Myka.

"Two Dr. Peppers then," said the hostess with a smile. "Easy enough. I will be right back with your drinks. A waiter will be with you shortly."

The pair thanked the hostess before turning their attention towards the menus.

"I don't know about you but I think the fish looks pretty good."

"I don't feel fishy," said Pete musing. "Steak, baked potato, cole slaw and gravy fries..."

"Gravy fries?" remarked Myka as she glanced up from her menu.

"Under the side orders," said Pete. "Sounds awesome."

"I've always liked sweet potato fries myself, though those do sound good too, if a bit messy."

"Fork!"

Myka smiled, "Split one with you?"

"Sounds fun," chuckled Pete. "What's next, sharing a Coke with two straws?"

"Not unless we were still in the 60s," Myka laughed.

"When I am with you, I feel that young sometimes," mused Pete, his tone serious.

"And the other time?"

"Well, when we're being accosted by artifact-wielding bad guys I don't feel young."

"Doesn't seem to stop you from acting young though," teased Myka.

"I figure, why let life get you down, right?"

"Right," nodded Myka in agreement. Closing up her menu she looked back at Pete. "I think I'm ready, how about you?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Myka flagged down a waiter and the pair promptly placed their orders. With a smile and a nod the waiter stepped away from the table taking the menus with him. Leaning back in her seat, Myka soaked in the atmosphere and listened to the music playing outside.


	10. Chapter 10

After a leisurely meal, the two walked around for a couple of hours, soaking up the local culture. Though mainly a gambler's paradise, Atlantic City did off other pursuits and some history. After some time, they both retreated back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.

Both took separate turns using the shower to freshen up, first Myka, and then Pete. Myka had just finished pulling on her dress as Pete stepped out of the bathroom, now changed into his new suit. Not looking up from her work, Myka called out to him, "Pete? Are you busy?"

Pete stood at a mirror, running a comb through his hair.

"What?"

"I want to make sure the strap on my dress is laying right, would you mind taking a look?"

"Here I come," said Pete as he gave himself the wink-and-the-gun in the mirror before turning to look at Myka.

Myka glanced over her shoulder as Pete stepped into the bedroom; she smiled appreciatively as she took in his appearance, "You look great."

"And so do you," said Pete. "My lovely bride."

"Bride?" remarked Myka, "Oh right, our covers." Clearing her throat she gestured to the back of her dress, "My dress, would you please come take a closer look?"

Pete walked closer to Myka to examine her dress. His hands came to rest instinctively on her hips as he examined how the strap in the back lay.

"Looks absolutely fine to me."

"Really?" asked Myka nervously.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Myka."

Turning her head towards Pete she softly kissed his cheek and rested her forehead against his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I've missed this, little moments like these."

"Hmm?" questioned Pete.

"You, just holding me in your arms," whispered Myka.

Pete softly nuzzled her hair.

"You weren't the only one."

Shifting slightly, Myka turned towards Pete and tilted her head towards his and very softly kissed him.

Pete grinned slightly as they pulled away.

"We must be newly married."

"That's the idea isn't it?" she replied with a wink.

"Are you okay now?" asked Pete.

Myka smiled warmly at Pete, "I have you with me don't I?"

"As far as I know."

"So, ready for a hot night on the town?"

"Let's go to work," said Pete with a smile as he looked at their reflection in the bedroom's vanity mirror.

Once the pair had finished getting ready, they gathered their belongings and stepped outside and hailed a cab. Before long they found themselves heading back towards the city, albeit at a slower pace. With night coming on more people were drawn to the city, and the nightlife. The two agents could only hope it would also draw out the artifact's holder.

Pete relaxed in the back seat of the taxi, Myka seated next to him, her head on his shoulder. The lights of the city danced across her features as they slowly made their way through traffic. Pete would be lying if he said he was not enjoying this moment with her.

When they finally did get downtown and to their stop, Pete exited the cab first and then helped Myka. They were stopped in front of a new-to-them casino, The Diamond Jack. The pair summoned up their best eager, confident expressions and stepped inside as if they owned the town.

Near immediately upon setting foot inside the casino the first thing the pair spied were miles and miles of slot machines accompanied by video poker machines. The waitresses were dressed in elaborate themed uniforms styled after the Venetian era, right down to the masks they wore which were adorned in shades of royal blue, gold, and white. Further towards the back of the casino an elaborate master staircase could be spotted that led up to the higher levels of the casino. Nearby on the ground floor also towards the back were several curtained off areas hidden by heavy drapes. The entire place had a modern renaissance era theme about itself.

"I think I saw this in Assassin's Creed," said Pete quietly.

Raising an eyebrow Myka turned towards Pete, "What?"

"I said, I can see how this appeals to everyone's greed!" Pete repeated, louder.

"Oh!" replied Myka loudly. Casting a glance around the main floor she nodded over at the master staircase, "I think we should go look upstairs!"

"Onward we shall go then, Lady Ophelia," said Pete, offering his arm.

Myka curtsied before she took Pete's arm in her own with a smile.

The two agents made their way towards the staircase and ascended. As they did so, Pete noticed how the architecture and design changed slightly and then became more pronounced as they moved higher. When they reached the top of the staircase, they had arrived in a very different place. It was quieter here and the room was styled after a renaissance-era town square.

After passing through the entrance, resembling a large gate, passing by two guards they arrived in the 'town square'. Above was a large skylight which allowed natural light during the day and a view of the stars at night. There were various games about. Poker, blackjack, roulette and a few others. There was murmuring chat but nothing at all like the other casinos. The staff was all dressed in period uniforms.

Even though they were surprised by the scenery, both agents took it all in with an expression of quiet examination. No excitement lighted their eyes; they were just taking in sights which were, for them, normal.

"Where would you like to begin, Ophelia?" asked Pete, his tone quiet and even.

"Where do you suppose the high rollers rooms are?" replied Myka as she glanced around the room.

"Uh, I think this is the high-roller area," said Pete. "The Diamond Jack is a high-roller casino and club."

Nodding in agreement, she gestured to the blackjack table, "Blackjack then?"

"Hold on," said Pete, putting his hand around her waist.

He watched for a moment as two couples entered the renaissance square from behind a set of large dark purple drapes.

"Let's see what's behind curtain number one."

"After you," remarked Myka.

"We're a couple," said Pete. "We go together."

"In that case, lead the way my love." she replied, tilting her head in the direction of the aforementioned curtain.

His arm still around her waist, Pete walked casually across the square with Myka. They talked about nothing, seemingly barely noticing their surroundings. Pete brushed aside the drapes as if it were merely a fog and they entered a separate area. This one was designed as a garden and bath house area. A large, ornately tiled pool with very blue water sat in the middle.

Fountains inside the pool circulated the water with a quiet rushing sound. Dotted in the green gardens were perhaps a total of five tables dedicated to different card games. One seemed to be Texas Hold'em, another was blackjack and so on. Pete gently guided Myka towards the blackjack table.

The pair nodded at the other patrons seated at the blackjack table as they approached. The dealer smiled at the pair, "How many players?"

"Two," said Pete, not even looking at the dealer, his shades still on casually.

The dealer gestured at the two remaining empty seats, "Have a seat."

Pete pulled out a chair for Myka and waited for her to sit before he sat down, slipping off his sunglasses and placing them into his inner-jacket pocket in a quiet, easy motion.

Myka let her wrap fall from her shoulders as she sat down, and she casually let her hand come to rest on Pete's knee as he placed her wrap over the back of her chair. Leaning towards him she whispered softly, "I hope you bring me luck tonight."

Pete chuckled softly, taking her hand in his and kissing the backs of her fingers.

Giving his hand a light squeeze she smiled slightly before she turned her attention back towards the table, "Dealer, our cards please."

And so the night truly began. The pair started off as lightly as they could without appearing hesitant. They wanted to start slow and ease themselves into a night of fun for a newlywed power couple. Two hours at the blackjack table netted them an extra forty-seven thousand dollars.

Nobody at the table appeared to be their art-fact abuser, so Pete set down four thousand for the dealer and stood, taking up Myka's wrap. He placed it around her shoulders after she had stood and they quietly and politely bowed out of the blackjack area and moved on.

"So blackjack's not his game," observed Myka quietly. "Perhaps poker?"

"Let's walk the area for a moment," said Pete. "We're here to have high-roller fun, not methodically play each game. Let us amble."

"Alright then," replied Myka as she rested her head against Pete's shoulder. "Let's amble about."

The two agents strolled the garden area, taking in the sights. Most of the light was given off by torches along the walls and firepits dotted around in the gardens and near the bath house. They observed games from a distance for a few moments at a time, changing positions casually, disguising their actions by engaging in newlywed caresses. At one point, Pete aggressively backed Myka up against a pillar near the bath house area and kissed her neck so she could spy on a nearby game. Their search yielding nothing in this area.

Myka sighed breathily as Pete pulled away and she rested forehead against his, "We keep this up they'll be wondering why we haven't gotten a room yet."

"Sorry," chuckled Pete. "We'll tone it down a bit."

"Well admittedly the dress isn't helping much I'd imagine either," she chuckled. "Certainly leaves little to the imagination."

"Oh, I'd say my imagination is running pretty wild about now," Pete replied, his voice a whisper as he spoke near her ear.

Myka shivered, "Pete focus, we still have an artifact to bag."

Pete pulled back and winked at Myka before leading her out of the garden area and back to the square. There, he spotted two sets of curtains on opposite sides of the room. He picked one at random and they walked inside. This time they found themselves stepping down a set of stone steps onto a beach. Here were wading pools, a bar and other games of chance, such as roulette and a punto banco version of baccarat.

"A little slice of paradise," commented Myka as she and Pete stepped out onto the beach.

"I don't know about that," said Pete. "This is still a casino. Pretty or not."

"It is strangely beautiful, for a casino."

"I used to think the same thing about the many colorful bottles behind the bar," Pete noted as he walked towards one of the tables.

Not saying anything, Myka walked alongside Pete and grasped his hand in hers giving it a firm squeeze of reassurance.

Pete observed a game of chance from a few paces away. The tables here were separated by sand and rock. The two agents walked around the beach area.

"Any vibes?" asked Myka quietly.

"Not yet," said Pete as he sat down on an empty stool near the bar.

Myka stood near Pete, the smell of the alcohol nearly made her stomach roll. She gave Pete's shoulders a light squeeze, and kissed the top of his head softly, "I'm going to take a little stroll, I feel queasy."

"I'll walk with you," said Pete.

"Thanks Pete," replied Myka.

"We may as well take a look at that last room," Pete said quietly. "If we don't find anything we'll move on."

"Agreed."

Pete and Myka made their way off the beach and back into the courtyard. Here, with the skylight slightly open and fresh air coming in, Myka began to feel better.

"Still reeling from the other night, huh?"

Myka managed a small smile, "It's just the smell of alcohol is all, made my stomach turn."

Pete nodded. "Best to lay off of the stuff for a while, a long while."

Sitting in the courtyard for a few moments, Pete had his arm around Myka's shoulders. They had been here for over three hours, closer to four. They sat quietly for a time, Pete nuzzling Myka's hair softly as he thought everything over. It was then they heard shouts coming from the room behind the curtain. The room they had not yet visited.

"Pete? What the Hell is going on?" remarked Myka as she glanced toward the direction of the curtained off room.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Pete replied. "Come on, let's take a look."

Pete moved to stand and started for the curtain.

Myka quickly followed after Pete, the shouts increasing as they neared the curtained off room. Pushing the curtain aside the pair stepped inside the room and spotted two men fighting with each other physically. Scattered chips and cards littered the table, spilled drinks and broken glass covered the floor.

"You lyin' cheat!" shouted one man, dressed in a now-rumpled blue suit.

His partner in pugilism was a young man with a scruffy beard. He wore a t-shirt and jeans. A ball cap lay on the floor near the carnage of chips, glass and cards.

Myka glanced over at Pete who noted the items on the floor. It was the same guy from The Brass Gong.

Pete drew his sidearm, the SIG, in his right hand and pulled out his credentials in his left.

"FREEZE!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the room. "Secret Service!"

The two men froze in place at Pete's words. Myka quickly swooped in as the bearded men scurried to his feet, "Don't even think about it!"

"You so much as twitch and you'll go down harder than Enron stock," said Pete with a growl. "Blue suit move over against the wall. We'll need a statement from you later. Agent Bering, cuff our man there."

Nodding, Myka slapped a set of cuffs on the bearded man's wrists and turned him around, "Where is it?"

"Where is WHAT?" said the man, his tone indignant and terrified.

"Pete, tell him."

Pete had no clue what to tell the guy. They still did not know exactly what they were looking for as far the artifact. Still, there could be no hesitation.

"What you're using to cheat the system, Shaggy," Pete spit out venomously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" The man sputtered out.

Rolling her eyes, Myka snapped on a pair of purple gloves before she searched the man's pockets and emptied them out placing the items onto the table.

"Check me anywhere you want to, gorgeous," the man quipped.

"Where's your jacket?" replied Myka, ignoring his off-handed remark.

"What jacket?"

"It's on the back of that chair," said the man in the blue suit, pointing.

"Pete," Myka nodded at the man before she walked over to retrieve the jacket.

Pete kept his weapon aimed on the suspect.

Myka searched the inside and outside pockets of the jacket, she found a set of keys ironically held together by a lucky rabbit's foot keychain. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she held up the keys for Pete to see, "Pete?"

"Try it," said Pete, his eyes never leaving the bearded man.

Taking out a foil bag, Myka snapped it open and promptly turned away as she dropped the keys inside the bag. Opening her eyes cautiously she glanced back at the bag, "Anything?"

"Nope."

"What the Hell is that?" asked the bearded man.

"Shut it, Shaggy," said Pete. "What did you pull out of his pockets, Bering?"

Myka dumped the keys out of the bag and onto the table. She picked up each item one at a time, scrutinizing each piece closely. "Poker chips, some peppermints, two unused condoms…," she paused as she picked up a money clip. "Money clip?"

"Unlikely...," said Pete. "What's in the bag?"

"It's just some Ex...," said the bearded man. "After a winning night, I like to take a lady for a ride...you know. C'mon, man."

"Yeah, that'll stop us from looking."

Setting down the money clip, Myka picked up a small, royal blue velvet bag. Pulling back the drawstrings on the bag she dumped out a matching set of dice made of red plastic with white spots. From the look of the pieces they were very old. Opening the bag, Myka dropped the dice inside producing a large spark of electricity.

Just then, the Farnsworth began buzzing. Pete fished it out of his pocket with his left hand, his right still aiming the SIG at the bearded man. Pete opened the Farnsworth and Artie's face appeared on the screen.

"Pete!" Artie started. "You're looking for a set of dice. Francois de la Roche, a French gambler of the 19th century. He was known for his lucky streaks until he was shot in the head by one of his gaming partners."

"We found the dice, Artie," said Pete. "Snagged, bagged and tagged."

"Really?" said Artie. "Good work then agents. See you soon."

Pete closed the Farnsworth and replaced it into his jacket pocket.

"A-are you telling me that those dice?"

"Shut it, Shaggy," said Pete. "Alright, let's get the casino security in here. This guy was card counting. We need to report in, Agent Bering."

"Ha!" said the man in the blue suit. "You got nailed, you cheating son of a bitch!"

"Sir, casino security will be getting your statement," said Pete. "Good work ferreting out this man. We've been looking for him for a long time."

"Not a problem," replied the man in the blue suit.

"Agent Bering," said Pete as the casino security officers came into the room.

Myka nodded at the casino security officers, "I believe this is the man you're looking for, he's also wanted at The Brass Gong."

"We'll turn him over to ACPD," said the lead officer as he handcuffed Shaggy. "They're on their way. We'll alert the other casinos in the area so they can press charges."

"Works for me," said Pete as he handed Myka back her cuffs. He showed the casino security officer his credentials. "We'll stay here if you don't mind. Make sure we get copies of reports. Government processes and all that."

"Cool with me," said the lead security officer. "We can wait in the office. I need to get back on the cameras anyway. Whole damn system went berserk ten minutes ago. Feed has been spotty. That's why we took so long getting here."

"Hacker or something?" asked Pete.

"Hot liquid introduced to the wrong environment," said the lead security officer, looking at a younger man.

"Oh...rookies."

"Yeah."

The pair watched as the two security officers exited from the room, the younger man letting out a low whistle as he surveyed the mess, "God what a mess."


	11. Chapter 11

An hour later, Pete and Myka exited the casino with their artifact intact. The local police had a suspect for casino scamming in custody with various security tapes coming in from assorted casinos. Pete hailed a cab and stood there on the sidewalk with Myka next to him. The lights of the city dancing around them both, the cool night air hitting their skin after so long inside. It was remarkably rejuvenating for his tired body and mind.

"Myka?"

Myka turned towards Pete, "Yeah Pete?"

"Would you mind terribly if I kissed you right now?"

"No, I wouldn't."

Pete took Myka into his arms and kissed her as if he had not seen her in years. In truth, even though they had made up earlier, he still had felt a distance between them. That was gone now. Long gone.

After a very long moment had passed, Myka pulled away, breathless from the kiss she had just shared with Pete. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he held her in his arms, almost as though she were a delicate china doll.

"Pete?"

"Yeah?" asked Pete quietly, cupping her face in his hands, his thumbs gently tracing along her cheeks.

"You okay?"

"More than okay," said Pete, his voice barely above a whisper, as if talking to a dream. "Why?"

"You're holding onto me like I may float away with the wind," she replied quietly.

"I'm sorry," said Pete as he smiled.

He eased his hold on her.

"It's okay," she replied, returning his smile.

His eyes looked at her, taking in her features, his hands resting on her arms. When the cab pulled up, he opened the door for her.

Myka climbed into the cab, waiting for Pete to join her.

Pete sat next to her in the cab and closed the door. He told the driver the name of their hotel and then the cab was on the way. When they arrived, Pete helped Myka out of the car and walked with her arm in arm into the hotel.

Myka yawned sleepily as she walked alongside Pete. She felt completely drained by this case and everything that had happened. Stopping in front of the elevator she rested her head on Pete's shoulder.

"I'll give Artie a full report if you want to freshen up," said Pete. "Then we can relax."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," she replied. "What time is it?"

"A little after two in the morning."

"I think I just want to get some sleep," said Myka as the elevators slid open.

"I don't think so," said Pete, looking at her.

Myka stepped into the empty elevator car with Pete and pressed the button for their floor.

"Plan on keeping me up all night?" teased Myka.

"Maybe just a long while," said Pete.

Myka turned towards Pete and she straightened his shirt's collar, "A long while huh?"

"Mm-hm."

Myka let her hands come to rest against his shoulders and she gently stroked the side of his face, gazing into his eyes, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you," said Pete. "I guess that's why I held onto you like I did outside the casino."

"I don't want to let you go tonight," she whispered as she pulled him close for a kiss, her hands threading into his hair as she pushed him into the wall of the elevator.

Pete returned the kiss with equal passion, pulling her close to him. When the tone sounded and the doors of the elevator opened, Pete picked Myka up and carried her down the hall to their suite. Myka pulled the key from her purse and used it to unlock the door. She worked the handle and Pete kicked it open, also kicking the door closed after they had gone inside. He walked directly to the bedroom.

Myka grasped hold of Pete's shirt collar as he lowered her onto the bed, and she pulled him down with her, kissing him passionately as he threw aside his jacket. She had missed this dearly, being in his arms, him holding her close, it made her wonder suddenly if she was dreaming. Breaking off the kiss she framed Pete's face in her hands, staring deep into his eyes, "I'm not dreaming, am I?" she whispered.

"Or blonde?" she added as an afterthought.

"No," said Pete. "Not at all."

Myka broke off the kiss as she pulled off Pete's shirt, and she glanced at her wrap which laid nearby and she smiled slightly as she reached for it. "Remember what I asked you earlier, about blindfolding you?" she whispered as he kissed her neck.

Leaning in, Pete kissed Myka again.

Before Pete could answer, the familiar tinny buzzing sound of the Farnsworth cut him off.

"Bad timing, Artie...," said Pete with a sigh. "I best take it and report on our case."

"Don't keep me waiting," she whispered as she kissed him again softly before she lay back against the pillows.

"Oh...damn it Artie," said Pete before he opened the Farnsworth and walked out into the living room. "Pete here."

From out in the living room Myka caught snippets of the conversation between Artie and Pete, knowing Artie likely wanted an update on the case, and the artifact. Sitting up she kicked back the covers and patiently waited for Pete to finish his conversation.

Pete walked out onto the balcony as the conversation regarding the artifact wound down. Apparently de la Roche's dice would only work if both were present. Additionally, they brought with it the bad side of having one of those cheated by them kill the bearer of the dice themselves. Pete and Myka saved two lives that night. Weird.

"So, if there is nothing else, get some rest," said Artie. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Actually...," Pete began. "Could you spare us one more night?"

"What?" said Artie. 'Why? A lead on another artifact?"

"No...," said Pete slowly. "Me and Myka sorta...we are working things out. I think maybe another night here would do us some good."

"Oh," said Artie. After a moment he spoke again. "I will see you the day after tomorrow then. Be safe and keep the artifact protected at all times."

Pete started to thank Artie, but the elder agent had already closed his Farnsworth and Pete did the same. He walked back in from the balcony and made his way to the bedroom, having removed his shirt.

Myka looked up as Pete stepped back inside the bedroom, "Hey, get everything sorted out with Artie?"

"Yeah," said Pete. "He found the info on the artifact and is prepping its place on a shelf right now."

"Good," replied Myka. "Now, your lady awaits your attentions."

"And she shall have them," said Pete with a slight bow.

Myka crawled towards the edge of the bed and she smiled at Pete, making a come hither motion with her hand.

Pete walked towards her, climbing onto the bed and taking her into his arms.

Myka nuzzled Pete's nose as he pinned her, "Now, about what we were discussing earlier…"

Hours later as the sun rose up slowly over the horizon, the pair slept in bed fitfully, entangled in each other's arms.

Pete kissed Myka's temple and held her close before he closed his eyes again, intent on sleeping a little longer.

Myka stirred in her sleep, her eyes opened lazily, she smiled as she softly stroked Pete's cheek. She turned on her side, and chanced a glance at the digital alarm clock. Immediately she turned back to her partner, and slapped his face lightly, "Pete! Pete wake up!"

"Hey, hey...," said Pete. 'What's the deal?"

"We overslept! We're gonna miss our flight back to the South Dakota!" she remarked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, gathering up the sheets around her form.

Pete smiled slightly and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her back across the bed to him.

"Come here, Tigress."

Myka gasped in shock, and all but squirmed about in Pete's arms, "What are you doing? We don't have time for a...we gotta get packed!"

"Easy, Myka take it easy," started Pete. "I talked with Artie last night. I squared us away for another day here, just you and me."

"Why didn't you tell me last night?"

"Surprise?" said Pete.

Sighing, Myka fell back against the pillows, closing her eyes.

"God help me if you ever work up the nerve to propose," she mumbled as she covered her eyes with her arm.

"One day, maybe," chuckled Pete. "Today is ours though."

Lifting her arm from her eyes she sat up, pulling the blankets close to her, "So, what did you have in mind for today's agenda?" She chuckled as he gave her a once over and she patted his arm, "And I don't mean spend all day in bed."

"Not all day," said Pete, a smile slowly spreading across his features, including his eyes. "Maybe just a long while."

"Then let's make the most of it," replied Myka as she returned his smile before she pulled him close for another kiss.

The next afternoon found Pete and Myka placing de la Roche's Dice into its designated spot in the Warehouse. Pete smiled from the floor below as Myka was talking to him from up above on the ladder. A successful mission, his partner was back, Myka was back. When she climbed back down the ladder he walked with her out of the Warehouse. Everything felt as it should.

**THE END**


End file.
